The General Commissariat for Jewish Affairs, established in March 1941, gave concrete form to the administrative and legal dimensions of French state anti-Semitism. Its first Commissioner General was Xavier Vallat, who was replaced, at the Nazis’ request, by Louis Darquier de Pellepoix in May 1942. The CGQJ was also responsible for the Gypsies.
The law of March 29 specifies its functions:
— proposal for new legislation that discriminates against Jews
— coordination of the actions of French government agencies in the anti-Jewish policy
— Liquidation of Jewish property and appointment of its administrators
— oversight of the implementation of anti-Jewish policies.
As the Commission’s main department, the Directorate of Economic Aryanization (DAE) implemented the economic measures taken against Jews and oversaw the Service for the Supervision of Provisional Administrators (SCAP), which was attached to the CGQJ by decree of June 19, 1941. The second major department, the Police for Jewish Affairs (PQJ)—later renamed the Investigation and Control Section (SEC)—investigated violations of the Jewish Statute.
The CGQJ was officially closed at the end of August 1944. Its assets were placed under receivership and transferred to the Ministry of Finance.
References:
– Billig, Joseph (1955, 1957, 1960) , *The General Commissariat for Jewish Affairs (1941–1944)*, vols. 1, 2, and 3, Paris: Center for Contemporary Jewish Documentation.
– Bruttmann, Tal. 2006, *At the Office of Jewish Affairs: The French Administration and the Enforcement of Anti-Semitic Legislation (1940–1944)*, La Découverte, “L’espace de l’histoire” series.
– Joly, Laurent, 2006, Vichy and the “Final Solution”: A History of the General Commissariat for Jewish Affairs (1941–1944), Paris, Grasset.
