Court acknowledges right to property confiscated after WWII

A district court has acknowledged the right of aristocrat Karel des Fours Walderode to property confiscated on the basis of the Beneš decrees in the post-war period. His wife is fighting to regain control of assets in north Bohemia valued at around CZK 3 billion.

The judge at the court in Semily issued a preliminary ruling on Tuesday. If it is upheld and does not face legal challenges, hearings can take place regarding around 1,400 individual properties.

Due to his German nationality des Fours Walderode lost his property in 1946 under the Beneš decrees. The family had their Czechoslovak citizenship returned the following year but the Communists took power before the assets could be returned. After emigrating in 1948 the aristocrat lost his citizenship again.