To own or have a Persilschein is akin to having "a clean bill of health" and may refer to the granting of a wide-ranging permission or "carte blanche" to pursue a business or a previously morally or legally suspect interest.
Colloquially the affected person was said to be "washed clean" of accusations of Nazi sympathies; "cleanliness" in this context meaning "innocent".
They were attested as having a so-called "white vest" (innocence) and were now allowed to apply for a house or open a business again.
During 1948, the interest of the Americans in systematic denazification waned markedly as the Cold War and the threat from the Soviet bloc hove increasingly into view.
Faster processes were introduced to bring denazification to a swift conclusion, however, that led to questionable judgements.