Economic measures against the Jews were introduced in late 1940. No such measures had been taken in the first few months of the occupation, and for a while it even seemed that the Jews might be allowed to pursue a reasonable level of economic activity. Some Jews who had fled to France (mainly to the southern zone) when Belgium was occupied actually returned to Belgium and resumed their economic activities there, especially in the diamond industry in Antwerp. In November 1940, however, Hermann Goering ordered the Belgian economy to be "Aryanized," thus prompting interest by various German enterprises in acquiring Jewish businesses. In practice, "Aryanization" was launched only in late 1941, its "legal" basis being decrees of October 28, 1940, and May 21, 1941. Aryanization gathered momentum in March and April 1942, when the systematic liquidation of Jewish businesses in the textile, leather, and diamond industries was set in motion. However, the Aryanization process was never completed; according to a comprehensive survey conducted by the Germans, the large Jewish enterprises stayed in existence and kept their assets intact. The situation in Jewish-owned real estate was similar.
Several economic decrees were enacted in 1942: confiscation of property owned by German Jews (April 22 and August 1); severe restrictions on the practice of medicine (June 1); and, forbidding the sale of real estate without special permission (September 29) during the period when Jews were being deported to camps.
