ABSTRACT
The Flick Concern, like many other big businesses and major financial institutions, provided a useful front for what amounted to the expropriation of Jewish property regardless of how "legal and voluntary" it appeared. However, its success in dealing with state and party offices was never a foregone conclusion because of the complex circumstances in which Aryanizations occurred. Flicks first opportunity to expand his Concern had come in 1934, when pressure mounted to "Aryanize" the Simson Waffenfabrik, the only German factory allowed to manufacture rifles and machine-guns under the Treaty of Versailles. Because of its symbolic significance to Nazi military-political goals, Artur Simson became target for Aryanization. In the complete Aryanization of Hochofenwerk Lubeck, Flicks participation was built on talks with various shareholders while state officials used their power to pressure Jews owning the majority of stock to sell out. Flick may have been prompted by "higher authorities."
