70 Years of German Compensation Law - Germany’s Responsibility for Victims of WWII and the Holocaust

On September 15th, 2022, the German government commemorated 70 years of compensation law for victims of WWII and the Holocaust. It began in December 1951, when then German Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer made a now-famous speech about the moral obligation of the young republic towards crime committed in the name of the German People. This declaration in parliament paved the way for complicated negotiations between the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Israel, and the Jewish Claims Conference. These negotiations led to the Luxembourg Agreement of December 10th 1952, and the German Federal Compensation Law (BEG). The legislation would be the first of many initiatives taken over the course of the following years. The reunification of Germany in 1990, and the fall of the Soviet Empire brought with it the need to address unresolved compensation issues both with Jewish Holocaust Victims and other groups. The creation of the Remembrance, Past and Future Fund for victims of forced labor, and the enactment of the amendment to the Federal Social Security law (ZRBG) - the so-called Ghetto pension law, are among more recent steps in the history of German Compensation. Join legal expert Avi Weber for an overview of these developments, a reflection on what has been done, but also a critical look towards the German government’s continuing and future obligations.

The full video is available here.