Online collection

Wiedergutmachung for
National Socialist Injustice

Wiedergutmachung is the term used to describe the German government’s efforts to take responsibility and make amends for crimes committed by the National Socialist regime. In material terms, this encompasses the return of stolen property, compensation payments and assistance measures.

This online platform was initiated by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance as a follow-up task for German Wiedergutmachung policy. For the first time, it pools relevant archival material held by German federal, Land and municipal authorities. It will be expanded on a continuous basis to include archival material from additional domestic and international sources.

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News

800,000 Wiedergutmachung records online
News from the Online Collection „Wiedergutmachung for National Socialist Injustice“
State Archives of North Rhine-Westphalia: Kick-off for project on digitization and description of Wiedergutmachung records
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Overview of the holdings

  • Compensation
    Payments to victims of National Socialist persecution in accordance with rules adopted from 1945 to the present by the Western occupying powers, the German Länder and the Federal Republic of Germany to compensate for death, damage to body or health, deprivation of freedom, or damage to property, assets, business or professional career.
    • Payments for victims persecuted for reasons of the National Socialist racial ideology, or for religious or political reasons in accordance with the Federal Compensation Act (BEG) of 1953 (1957 in the Saarland) or with provisions by the occupying powers or the Länder.
    • Hardship provisions for specific victims of National Socialist persecution who had received only little or no compensation under BEG legislation (e. g. victims of forced sterilisation or of pseudo-medical experiments, victims of euthanasia, homosexuals), and payments on the basis of special legislation (social insurance, war victims pensions, forced laborers, ghetto workers).
    • Payments for public employees who had been dismissed from public service or suffered other disadvantages in their employment due to National Socialist persecution.
    • Payments under the Compensation Pension Act for people who were granted honorary or survivors' pensions as victims of Nazi persecution in the former GDR, or who were denied or withdrawn such pensions.
    • Civil society actors and organizations advocating the cause of Wiedergutmachung. The records encompass e. g. estates of former persecutees, and individual collections.
    Restitution
    The return of property to people persecuted by the National Socialist regime for reasons of race, religion or ideology, or because of their political opposition to the Nazi regime. Restitution was carried out on the basis of rules adopted from 1945 to the present by the Western occupying powers, the German Länder and the Federal Republic of Germany.
    • The return of property to victims of National Socialist persecution in accordance to regulations of the Western occupying powers and of the Länder as well as the compensation of financial claims under the Federal Restitution Act (BRüG) against the German Reich and National Socialist organizations.
      • Preparation and implementation of restitution legislation in the German federation and the Länder.
      • Administration of assets of public agencies, National Socialist organisations and individual profiteers of the so-called "aryanisations" that were placed under supervision in 1945
      • Processing of restitution applications (filing of claims, decisions).
      • Proceedings in restitution cases held by the courts of the Länder and by the allied or international supreme restitution courts.
      • Payments for victims of Nazi persecution under the Burden Equalization Act, other than restitution of property seized as a result of expulsion.
    • Return (or financial compensation where appropriate) of assets that were seized due to National Socialist persecution and were not restituted in the SBZ/GDR, according to the Act Regulating Open Property Matters and the Victims of Nazi Persecution Compensation Act.
    • Civil society actors and organizations advocating the cause of Wiedergutmachung. The records encompass e. g. estates of former persecutees, and individual collections.
    International
    Agreements, treaties and arrangements that the Federal Republic of Germany concluded with other countries and organizations regarding the settlement of compensation and restitution claims.
    SOZ and GDR
    Payments provided to victims of National Socialist persecution living in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the German Democratic Republic.
    • The return of property to political organizations and to a limited extent to individual victims of National Socialist persecution, especially in Berlin and Thuringia (Thuringian Restitution Act of 1945).
    • Welfare and assistance services, including health, housing and pension benefits, on the basis of a specially conferred status (persecutees of the Nazi regime, fighters against fascism), primarily for communist Nazi persecutees.
      • Regulations on welfare and assistance for victims of National Socialist persecution
      • Procedures by regional state offices to recognise and withdraw the status of persecutee of the National Socialist regime and to grant welfare services, assisted by the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime (until 1952) and the Committee of Antifascist Resistance Fighters.
      • Involvement of the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime (until 1952) and the Committee of Antifascist Resistance Fighters in the care and support of Nazi persecutees.
    • International claims for compensation from countries, organizations, and individuals.
  • Compensation
    Payments to victims of National Socialist persecution in accordance with rules adopted from 1945 to the present by the Western occupying powers, the German Länder and the Federal Republic of Germany to compensate for death, damage to body or health, deprivation of freedom, or damage to property, assets, business or professional career.
    • Payments for victims persecuted for reasons of the National Socialist racial ideology, or for religious or political reasons in accordance with the Federal Compensation Act (BEG) of 1953 (1957 in the Saarland) or with provisions by the occupying powers or the Länder.
    • Hardship provisions for specific victims of National Socialist persecution who had received only little or no compensation under BEG legislation (e. g. victims of forced sterilisation or of pseudo-medical experiments, victims of euthanasia, homosexuals), and payments on the basis of special legislation (social insurance, war victims pensions, forced laborers, ghetto workers).
    • Payments for public employees who had been dismissed from public service or suffered other disadvantages in their employment due to National Socialist persecution.
    • Payments under the Compensation Pension Act for people who were granted honorary or survivors' pensions as victims of Nazi persecution in the former GDR, or who were denied or withdrawn such pensions.
    • Civil society actors and organizations advocating the cause of Wiedergutmachung. The records encompass e. g. estates of former persecutees, and individual collections.
    Restitution
    The return of property to people persecuted by the National Socialist regime for reasons of race, religion or ideology, or because of their political opposition to the Nazi regime. Restitution was carried out on the basis of rules adopted from 1945 to the present by the Western occupying powers, the German Länder and the Federal Republic of Germany.
    • The return of property to victims of National Socialist persecution in accordance to regulations of the Western occupying powers and of the Länder as well as the compensation of financial claims under the Federal Restitution Act (BRüG) against the German Reich and National Socialist organizations.
      • Preparation and implementation of restitution legislation in the German federation and the Länder.
      • Administration of assets of public agencies, National Socialist organisations and individual profiteers of the so-called "aryanisations" that were placed under supervision in 1945
      • Processing of restitution applications (filing of claims, decisions).
      • Proceedings in restitution cases held by the courts of the Länder and by the allied or international supreme restitution courts.
      • Payments for victims of Nazi persecution under the Burden Equalization Act, other than restitution of property seized as a result of expulsion.
    • Return (or financial compensation where appropriate) of assets that were seized due to National Socialist persecution and were not restituted in the SBZ/GDR, according to the Act Regulating Open Property Matters and the Victims of Nazi Persecution Compensation Act.
    • Civil society actors and organizations advocating the cause of Wiedergutmachung. The records encompass e. g. estates of former persecutees, and individual collections.
    International
    Agreements, treaties and arrangements that the Federal Republic of Germany concluded with other countries and organizations regarding the settlement of compensation and restitution claims.
    SOZ and GDR
    Payments provided to victims of National Socialist persecution living in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the German Democratic Republic.
    • The return of property to political organizations and to a limited extent to individual victims of National Socialist persecution, especially in Berlin and Thuringia (Thuringian Restitution Act of 1945).
    • Welfare and assistance services, including health, housing and pension benefits, on the basis of a specially conferred status (persecutees of the Nazi regime, fighters against fascism), primarily for communist Nazi persecutees.
      • Regulations on welfare and assistance for victims of National Socialist persecution
      • Procedures by regional state offices to recognise and withdraw the status of persecutee of the National Socialist regime and to grant welfare services, assisted by the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime (until 1952) and the Committee of Antifascist Resistance Fighters.
      • Involvement of the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime (until 1952) and the Committee of Antifascist Resistance Fighters in the care and support of Nazi persecutees.
    • International claims for compensation from countries, organizations, and individuals.
  • Compensation
    Payments to victims of National Socialist persecution in accordance with rules adopted from 1945 to the present by the Western occupying powers, the German Länder and the Federal Republic of Germany to compensate for death, damage to body or health, deprivation of freedom, or damage to property, assets, business or professional career.
    • Payments for victims persecuted for reasons of the National Socialist racial ideology, or for religious or political reasons in accordance with the Federal Compensation Act (BEG) of 1953 (1957 in the Saarland) or with provisions by the occupying powers or the Länder.
    • Hardship provisions for specific victims of National Socialist persecution who had received only little or no compensation under BEG legislation (e. g. victims of forced sterilisation or of pseudo-medical experiments, victims of euthanasia, homosexuals), and payments on the basis of special legislation (social insurance, war victims pensions, forced laborers, ghetto workers).
    • Payments for public employees who had been dismissed from public service or suffered other disadvantages in their employment due to National Socialist persecution.
    • Payments under the Compensation Pension Act for people who were granted honorary or survivors' pensions as victims of Nazi persecution in the former GDR, or who were denied or withdrawn such pensions.
    • Civil society actors and organizations advocating the cause of Wiedergutmachung. The records encompass e. g. estates of former persecutees, and individual collections.
    Restitution
    The return of property to people persecuted by the National Socialist regime for reasons of race, religion or ideology, or because of their political opposition to the Nazi regime. Restitution was carried out on the basis of rules adopted from 1945 to the present by the Western occupying powers, the German Länder and the Federal Republic of Germany.
    • The return of property to victims of National Socialist persecution in accordance to regulations of the Western occupying powers and of the Länder as well as the compensation of financial claims under the Federal Restitution Act (BRüG) against the German Reich and National Socialist organizations.
      • Preparation and implementation of restitution legislation in the German federation and the Länder.
      • Administration of assets of public agencies, National Socialist organisations and individual profiteers of the so-called "aryanisations" that were placed under supervision in 1945
      • Processing of restitution applications (filing of claims, decisions).
      • Proceedings in restitution cases held by the courts of the Länder and by the allied or international supreme restitution courts.
      • Payments for victims of Nazi persecution under the Burden Equalization Act, other than restitution of property seized as a result of expulsion.
    • Return (or financial compensation where appropriate) of assets that were seized due to National Socialist persecution and were not restituted in the SBZ/GDR, according to the Act Regulating Open Property Matters and the Victims of Nazi Persecution Compensation Act.
    • Civil society actors and organizations advocating the cause of Wiedergutmachung. The records encompass e. g. estates of former persecutees, and individual collections.
    International
    Agreements, treaties and arrangements that the Federal Republic of Germany concluded with other countries and organizations regarding the settlement of compensation and restitution claims.
    SOZ and GDR
    Payments provided to victims of National Socialist persecution living in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the German Democratic Republic.
    • The return of property to political organizations and to a limited extent to individual victims of National Socialist persecution, especially in Berlin and Thuringia (Thuringian Restitution Act of 1945).
    • Welfare and assistance services, including health, housing and pension benefits, on the basis of a specially conferred status (persecutees of the Nazi regime, fighters against fascism), primarily for communist Nazi persecutees.
      • Regulations on welfare and assistance for victims of National Socialist persecution
      • Procedures by regional state offices to recognise and withdraw the status of persecutee of the National Socialist regime and to grant welfare services, assisted by the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime (until 1952) and the Committee of Antifascist Resistance Fighters.
      • Involvement of the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime (until 1952) and the Committee of Antifascist Resistance Fighters in the care and support of Nazi persecutees.
    • International claims for compensation from countries, organizations, and individuals.
  • Compensation
    Payments to victims of National Socialist persecution in accordance with rules adopted from 1945 to the present by the Western occupying powers, the German Länder and the Federal Republic of Germany to compensate for death, damage to body or health, deprivation of freedom, or damage to property, assets, business or professional career.
    • Payments for victims persecuted for reasons of the National Socialist racial ideology, or for religious or political reasons in accordance with the Federal Compensation Act (BEG) of 1953 (1957 in the Saarland) or with provisions by the occupying powers or the Länder.
    • Hardship provisions for specific victims of National Socialist persecution who had received only little or no compensation under BEG legislation (e. g. victims of forced sterilisation or of pseudo-medical experiments, victims of euthanasia, homosexuals), and payments on the basis of special legislation (social insurance, war victims pensions, forced laborers, ghetto workers).
    • Payments for public employees who had been dismissed from public service or suffered other disadvantages in their employment due to National Socialist persecution.
    • Payments under the Compensation Pension Act for people who were granted honorary or survivors' pensions as victims of Nazi persecution in the former GDR, or who were denied or withdrawn such pensions.
    • Civil society actors and organizations advocating the cause of Wiedergutmachung. The records encompass e. g. estates of former persecutees, and individual collections.
    Restitution
    The return of property to people persecuted by the National Socialist regime for reasons of race, religion or ideology, or because of their political opposition to the Nazi regime. Restitution was carried out on the basis of rules adopted from 1945 to the present by the Western occupying powers, the German Länder and the Federal Republic of Germany.
    • The return of property to victims of National Socialist persecution in accordance to regulations of the Western occupying powers and of the Länder as well as the compensation of financial claims under the Federal Restitution Act (BRüG) against the German Reich and National Socialist organizations.
      • Preparation and implementation of restitution legislation in the German federation and the Länder.
      • Administration of assets of public agencies, National Socialist organisations and individual profiteers of the so-called "aryanisations" that were placed under supervision in 1945
      • Processing of restitution applications (filing of claims, decisions).
      • Proceedings in restitution cases held by the courts of the Länder and by the allied or international supreme restitution courts.
      • Payments for victims of Nazi persecution under the Burden Equalization Act, other than restitution of property seized as a result of expulsion.
    • Return (or financial compensation where appropriate) of assets that were seized due to National Socialist persecution and were not restituted in the SBZ/GDR, according to the Act Regulating Open Property Matters and the Victims of Nazi Persecution Compensation Act.
    • Civil society actors and organizations advocating the cause of Wiedergutmachung. The records encompass e. g. estates of former persecutees, and individual collections.
    International
    Agreements, treaties and arrangements that the Federal Republic of Germany concluded with other countries and organizations regarding the settlement of compensation and restitution claims.
    SOZ and GDR
    Payments provided to victims of National Socialist persecution living in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the German Democratic Republic.
    • The return of property to political organizations and to a limited extent to individual victims of National Socialist persecution, especially in Berlin and Thuringia (Thuringian Restitution Act of 1945).
    • Welfare and assistance services, including health, housing and pension benefits, on the basis of a specially conferred status (persecutees of the Nazi regime, fighters against fascism), primarily for communist Nazi persecutees.
      • Regulations on welfare and assistance for victims of National Socialist persecution
      • Procedures by regional state offices to recognise and withdraw the status of persecutee of the National Socialist regime and to grant welfare services, assisted by the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime (until 1952) and the Committee of Antifascist Resistance Fighters.
      • Involvement of the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime (until 1952) and the Committee of Antifascist Resistance Fighters in the care and support of Nazi persecutees.
    • International claims for compensation from countries, organizations, and individuals.
Baden-Württemberg
Bayern
Berlin
Brandenburg
Bremen
Hamburg
Hessen
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Niedersachsen
Nordrhein-Westfalen
Rheinland-Pfalz
Saarland
Sachsen
Sachsen-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein
Thüringen
Bund
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