Did Germans collude with opportunistic people attempting to enrich themselves by unethical or illegal means?

[axisinquirer]

There were obviously cases of people benefiting by the war, weather by moving into properties stolen from persecuted peoples, or stealing art, or any other way. Did German forces collude with these people? Did they make any attempt to not let this happen?

Does anyone know of any specific cases of people enriching themselves that I can research? Does anyone know any common ways that people enriched themselves?

[wm]

Do you know the sayings "opportunity makes a thief" and "absolute power corrupts absolutely""?
That happened when a mass of German administrators, officials, bureaucrats, policemen, military men - most of them perfect nobodies in their earlier lives - were given almost absolute power over the occupied territories.
The results were consistent with the sayings. In Goebbels' diaries it is called "Polish disease", mostly because of his limited knowledge what was going on further East.

[axisinquirer]

Thanks, that is a good start for me. However, were there opportunities presented to those other than the Germans, in German occupied zones? For example, were there Parisians that were able to enrich themselves with the Germans instead of just the Germans themselves?

[wm]

It's an extremely broad subject especially because of the "any other way". Everything was possible and everything happened because social order in some places collapsed, in many was hanging by a thread.

It should be noted that a German stealing anything, from prosecuted people or even "eliminated" people (like Jews), was a criminal according to German law and would be punished severely if caught. And lots of such people, Germans and Poles were arrested and punished - even if German police and German judges weren't saints themselves and gladly enriched themselves at every opportunity too - ordnung muss sein.

A problem among partisans was banditry, "international" cooperation was rarity I think. Such a cooperation could have been easily seen as treason (by both sides) and that was really dangerous.

Generally in the occupied territories the level of crime was huge and everybody contributed, Germans, Poles and Jews. Bandits, robbers, extortionists, conmen were everywhere and preyed on everybody they could.
Crime was a serious problem before the war too but during the occupation it exploded.
And lots of opportunities everywhere, even in Auschwitz - some guards and some prisoners left it with nice collections of diamonds or dollars. Bribes were a huge business, you could have even freed someone from Auschwitz for a (large) fee.

In this case I think it should be highlighted looting, everything without an owner and not guarded would be looted fast. It was like the New York City blackout of 1977.

I think "Notes from the Warsaw Ghetto" by Emmanuel Ringelblum might be helpful, simply because nothing else is available in English. Many examples of exploited opportunities there, by everybody.

[axisinquirer]

Thank-you, I understand that it was a very broad question but your answer gives me a very good starting point. And I especially appreciate the source you provided that I can use further.

[DavidFrankenberg]

Many people enriched themselves with the Collaboration.
Joanovici, a jew, is known for having collaborated and making money with the Nazis : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Joanovici. He was tampering metals especially.
The mob did so (not all the mob).

Many rich people (business men) who have collaborated with the nazis were not so much annoyed at the Libération. Sometimes rich people were wrongly accused and killed for collaborating ; and many true collaborators have kept huge responsabilities in the french state at the Libération.

[wm]

The article doesn't offer any proof he was a Nazi collaborator, the single reference there doesn't either. Although it mentions Mr Joanovici was later handed over to the French by Israeli Government in exchange for military cooperation.

There was nothing wrong with getting rich during the occupation, and many people did - after all life must go on. That the "life must go on", as little disturbed by occupation as possible, was actually required by the Hague Conventions. Someone had to produce, distribute, sell all the necessities the population needed in times when the Germans were plundering the occupied territories from anything of value.
In Poland thousands got rich quick - Poles and Jews, with the distinction the Jews mostly didn't survive the war, and the Poles mostly lost everything when the communists came. Joanovicis were everywhere, and many collaborated with some Germans in power (but not with the Nazi Germany) - usually to the detriment of the Third Reich.

[axisinquirer]

Thank-you to both of you for the very useful information

[DavidFrankenberg]

The article doesn't offer any proof he was a Nazi collaborator, the single reference there doesn't either. Although it mentions Mr Joanovici was later handed over to the French by Israeli Government in exchange for military cooperation.

There was nothing wrong with getting rich during the occupation, and many people did - after all life must go on. That the "life must go on", as little disturbed by occupation as possible, was actually required by the Hague Conventions. Someone had to produce, distribute, sell all the necessities the population needed in times when the Germans were plundering the occupied territories from anything of value.
In Poland thousands got rich quick - Poles and Jews, with the distinction the Jews mostly didn't survive the war, and the Poles mostly lost everything when the communists came. Joanovicis were everywhere, and many collaborated with some Germans in power (but not with the Nazi Germany) - usually to the detriment of the Third Reich.

It is a well-known fact that he was... he made a fortune with the Germans... Of course, most of this kind of men were not jewish... but Joanovici's case shocked public opinion after the war. It is a very famous case.