Estelle Sapir (25 January 1923[1] – 13 April 1999) was a Polish Jewish Holocaust survivor who achieved a measure of fame for her successful battle with the Swiss banking industry, in particular Credit Suisse, after a half-century of fighting for the return of her family's money, which had been deposited by her father, Józef Sapir, before he was murdered in the Nazi concentration camp at Majdanek during World War II.[2][3]

In 1998, Credit Suisse – which had demanded her father's death certificate, which did not exist due to the circumstances of his murder in a concentration camp, in order to release the funds – and Estelle Sapir jointly announced that the case was settled. The amount was not disclosed due to a confidentiality agreement but has been estimated at $500,000 USD.[2][4][5]

Sapir died on 13 April 1999, aged 76, in Rockaway Park, Queens, New York from a heart attack after a period of poor health. She never married and was survived by two nieces and a nephew.[6] She had maintained her Polish citizenship until her death and was a permanent resident alien in the United States, not a naturalized U.S. citizen, unlike her fellow co-plaintiffs.

References

  1. ↑ "News article with copy of Sapir's passport, with date of birth clearly given as 25 January 1923" (PDF). parentadvocates.org. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 Honan, William H. (16 April 1999). "Estelle Sapir, 73,[sic] Who Fought Bank Over Holocaust Assets". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  3. ↑ Simpson., Cam (29 October 1939). "Battle for Holocaust assets roils Israel – Storia In Rete". Storia In Rete. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "Court documents" (PDF). swissbankclaims.com. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  5. ↑ SISK, RICHARD (31 October 1997). "AT 71,[sic] SHE'S STILL TRYING TO REDEEM SWISS HOLDINGS". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "HOLOCAUST-$ CRUSADER DIES". nypost.com. 15 April 1999. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
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