1.5 m ex-Nazi slaves get compensation

5 December 2003

BERLIN – A total of 1.5 million former Nazi slave labourers have so far received compensation for their ordeal, a foundation supervising the public-private German indemnity fund said.

Payments of EUR2.6 billion have been made to the now elderly former slave and forced labourers in numerous countries, said foundation head Michael Jansen.

Jansen said the advanced age of former slaves meant up to 15 percent of those slated to receive funds died or were otherwise incapacitated before getting the symbolic payments ranging between EUR2,556 and EUR7,669.

All payments to the 1.8 million surviving slaves of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich should be completed by the 60th anniversary of World War II’s end in May 2005, Jansen said.

The bulk of payments have gone to former slaves in the following countries:

-Poland (443,000 claimants, EUR735 million)

-Belarus (119,000 claimants, EUR207 million)

-Czech Republic (75,000 claimants, EUR199 million)

Germany’s government and business each paid half of a EUR5.1 billion compensation fund.

DPA
Subject: German news