The History Podcast – The House at Number 48: 9. The Inheritance

Host: Charlie Northcoted (BBC Radio 4)
Date: October 24, 2025

Overview: Uncovering a Family’s Painful Legacy

In this compelling episode, host Charlie Northcoted digs into the dark, tangled legacy of the house at number 48—a property at the heart of Anthony Easton’s decade-long search for the truth about his family’s past. As Anthony deciphers clues left by his enigmatic father, he confronts revelations of Nazi-era property theft, Holocaust trauma, and a postwar inheritance shaped by denial and silence. The episode culminates in a powerful confrontation between the heirs of the original victims and the current occupants, unearthing complex questions of guilt, inheritance, and the burden of historical memory.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery in the Archives

(01:10 – 02:40)

• Yana Slavova spent months researching Germany’s Federal Archives, uncovering the sales contract for the house at number 48.
• The contract was emblazoned with Nazi imagery—"an eagle... and a giant swastika" (01:41).
• The document showed a 1938 transfer from the Jewish Eisner family to Aryan tax adviser Martin Hartig, at a time of systemic Nazi asset-stripping.
• Slavova states bluntly:

  “Just looking at the date, it's a sale under duress.” (02:20, D)

2. Challenging Family Narratives

(02:40 – 05:38)

• Hartig family oral history: Martin Hartig was portrayed as a hero who helped Jews and fairly acquired the house.
• Archival evidence: Hartig was part of the Nazi Law Society, a Reich government employee, and had power of attorney over the Eisner assets—he sold the property to himself.
• Anne Weber (Commission for Looted Art in Europe):

  “It was all legal... but the book was written by the Nazis. Those were forced sales. There might not have been a shotgun at somebody's head, but it was effectively a shotgun at somebody's head.” (03:57, E)

• David de Jong (author) observes:

  “What Mr. Hardwig said after the war was an explanation that thousands... of Germans gave... Men like Mr. Hardig had no incentive... to tell the truth.” (05:09, C)

3. Confronting the Present Heirs

(05:38 – 11:39)

• The podcast team meets privately with Hartig's granddaughter at the house at number 48.
• Charlie emotionally describes the impact on her:

  “The moment she realized what the document meant, she went crimson red... she said at one point, ‘this brings so much shame.’ And she had tears in her eyes.” (07:30, A)

• Her lifelong image of her grandfather is shattered.
• The great-grandchildren, Vincent and Emily, speak on record:
  • Vincent:

    “Big swastika in the middle? It looks really not that great... I don't think they had that much of a choice.” (09:17, C)

  • Emily:

    “I had no idea that the contract was done under these conditions... it's not really a surprise how it was bought because it happened under Hitler.” (09:43, D)

• The Hartig family has been wracked by lawsuits, infighting, and trauma postwar. Emily reveals:

  “My grandfather on the maternal side... committed suicide... he has a lot of trauma induced by the war. We had no idea about this because no one talks about it.” (10:54, D)

4. The Eisner Family’s Blocked Postwar Restitution

(11:58 – 13:58)

• Deep trauma and the adversarial nature of German restitution proceedings kept many, including the Eisners, from reclaiming their assets.
• Hildegard Eisner, Anthony’s grandmother, initially filed but then dropped her claim against Hartig following legal resistance.
• Anne Weber explains common patterns:

  “There are many, many families that began to try and reclaim property just gave up because the barriers were so huge and the antagonism... so great. It just brought back all the trauma...” (13:10, E)

• Hildegard’s perseverance led to small compensations—a “tiny fraction” of what was lost—which allowed the Eisners a new life in London.

5. The Last Hopes for Restitution

(14:54 – 16:50)

• Legal recourse for reclaiming real estate is now “far too late” (15:11).
• Anthony’s father never attempted to reclaim property; Anthony describes a “Berlin Wall of his conscience.” (15:32, C)
• The only remaining hope lies in art restitution:
  • The family seeks the return of a painting of the Eisner steel factory, currently held at Berlin’s Brohan Museum.
  • Anthony:

    “Eisenfeldswerk is the ultimate representation of the Eisner... It is the beginning of this journey and it'll be an end of this journey.” (16:22, C)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Just looking at the date, it's a sale under duress."
  – Yana Slavova (02:20)
• "It was all legal... but the book was written by the Nazis. Those were forced sales."
  – Anne Weber (03:57)
• “What Mr. Hardwig said after the war was an explanation that thousands... of Germans gave to cover up their crimes.”
  – David de Jong (05:09)
• "This brings so much shame."
  – Hartig granddaughter, as recalled by Charlie (07:30)
• "I had no idea... it's not really a surprise how it was bought because it happened under Hitler."
  – Emily Hartig (09:43)
• "There are many families... that began to try and reclaim property, just gave up because the barriers were so huge and the antagonism that they met was so great."
  – Anne Weber (13:10)
• "Eisenfeldswerk is the ultimate representation of the Eisner..."
  – Anthony (16:22)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:10 — Introduction to the archives and discovery of the sales contract
• 02:40 — Historical context of Nazi forced sales and Hartig’s Nazi connections
• 03:57 — Anne Weber on the legal façade of Nazi property theft
• 05:38 — Family confrontation and emotional fallout
• 09:17 — Vincent’s reaction to the sales contract
• 10:54 — Emily reveals family trauma and suicide
• 13:10 — Anne Weber on failure of restitution for Jewish families
• 16:22 — Anthony’s hope for restitution via stolen art

Episode Tone

The episode is somber, deeply personal, and historically grounded—striking a balance between empathy for descendants grappling with inherited shame and trauma, and clear-eyed analysis of how Nazi crimes continue to shape families and societies. Voices are measured but emotional, with both shock and sorrow evident as truths are uncovered.

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in the legacies of Holocaust trauma, questions of historical justice, and the complicated reckoning with family history decades after the crimes themselves.