Note 148 — IV. GENERAL DEVELOPMENT OF GERMAN LAW DURING THE NAZI PERIOD (continued 2)

The problem referred to by the witness was briefly the following: The value of the German currency having fallen to a very small fraction of its prewar value, debtors were able to pay off debts by paying, in terms of purchasing power, only a small fraction of the original debt. This brought hardship to many creditors. Hence, the question was whether, under the doctrine of “unjust enrichment,” or under some similar doctrine, or by virtue of special legislation, these debts, particularly toward creditors in the lower economic strata, should be “revalued.”