Controversy over compensation Forced labour under German rule during World War II

to facilitate economy after war, categories of victims of nazism excluded compensation german government; groups least amount of political pressure have brought bear, , many forced labourers eastern europe fall category. there has been little initiative on part of german government or business compensate forced labourers war period.

as stated in london debt agreement of 1953:

consideration of claims arising out of second world war countries @ war or occupied germany during war, , nationals of such countries, against reich , agencies of reich, including costs of german occupation, credits acquired during occupation on clearing accounts , claims against reichskreditkassen shall deferred until final settlement of problem of reparations.

to date, there arguments such settlement has never been carried out , germany post-war development has been aided, while development of victim countries stalled.

a prominent example of group received no compensation time forced labourer in nazi germany polish forced labourers. according potsdam agreements of 1945, poles receive reparations not germany itself, soviet union share of reparations; due soviet pressure on polish communist government, poles agreed system of repayment de facto meant few polish victims received sort of adequate compensation (comparable victims in western europe or soviet union itself). of polish share of reparations given poland soviet union under comecon framework, not highly inefficient, benefited soviet union more poland. under further soviet pressure (related london agreement on german external debts), in 1953 people s republic of poland renounced right further claims of reparations successor states of nazi germany. after fall of communism in poland in 1989/1990 did polish government try renegotiate issue of reparations, found little support in german side , none soviet (later, russian) side.

the total number of forced labourers under nazi rule still alive of august 1999 2.3 million. german forced labour compensation programme established in 2000; forced labour fund paid out more 4.37 billion euros close 1.7 million of then-living victims around world (one-off payments of between 2,500 , 7,500 euros). germany chancellor angela merkel stated in 2007 many former forced labourers have received promised humanitarian aid ; conceded before fund established nothing had gone directly forced labourers. german president horst koehler stated

it initiative urgently needed along journey peace , reconciliation... @ least, these symbolic payments, suffering of victims has been publicly acknowledged after decades of being forgotten.




^ jeanne dingell. question of polish forced labourer during , in aftermath of world war ii: example of warthegau forced labourers . remember.org. retrieved 2008-06-02. 
^ cite error: named reference beyerschneider invoked never defined (see page).
^ erik kirschbaum (12 june 2007). germany ends war chapter slave fund closure . reuters. archived original on 2008-07-24. retrieved 2008-07-13.