Bewariërs (Custaryans)
During World War II, Jews who were deported had to hand over their possessions to the occupying forces. Many Jews chose to deposit everything of (emotional) value with non-Jewish acquaintances and neighbours with the idea that they would get their possessions back on their return. For the few Jews who actually returned, the homecoming often turned out to be a particularly sobering experience; not only did their houses turn out to have been occupied by others, but their deposited possessions were often not returned either. Those who refused restitution were known as 'custaryans', a contraction of 'custodian' and 'aryan'. Complicated bureaucracy and still-dormant anti-Semitism made it almost impossible for returned Jews to find justice.
This documentary tells three different stories that show the impact all this had on those involved - on people who did keep their promise, on people who kept everything and on people who now do not know what to do with the belongings of Jews who never returned.
