Innsbruck – If no heir is found, the estate in Austria goes to the Republic. The Republic then refers to this as “reversion.” In other countries, such as France, it is different: If no heirs emerge after a certain period of time, the case is referred to a genealogical office. This office searches for heirs worldwide. In Austria, genealogists are thwarting the tax authorities’ plans on their own. A historian’s office in Vienna, for example, specializes in the search for heirs. There is also an office in Tyrol. If the researchers find them, they receive a commission (a percentage of the inheritance). An example from Tyrol, explains genealogist Nicolas Forster, is this: Someone died in Tyrol and left “only” a legacy. Several hundred thousand euros were left to no one in their will. There were no children, no siblings, no relatives. The mother had a brother who emigrated to the “Old Tyrolean” settlement of Dreizehnlinden in Brazil. But he, too, was dead. There was no contact with the “old homeland” on either side. With extensive research, cousins ​​were found in Brazil. (lipi)

Source: Print edition of the Tiroler Tageszeitung,