Two weeks of negotiations between West German and Italian officials in compensation to Italian victims of the Nazi period ended today with unofficial reports that the total sum agreed to by the negotiators was for a contribution of 40, 000,000 German marks ($10, 000, 000).
The agreement still requires ratification by West Germany but this was expected within a few weeks. It concerns about 20, 000 cases of which about 8, 000 involve Jews. Only 1,500 of the Italians deported during the Nazi period returned to Italy and about 500 were Jews. The $10, 000, 000 figure is similar to sums accepted by other European countries overrun by the Nazis.
Once the agreement is ratified, representatives of the Italian administration will meet with representatives of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, the Association of Former Deportees and the Association of Former Internees. The goal will be to establish procedures for dividing the West German money among the survivors or their relatives. In cases in which every member of a family was killed, the talks will determine which institution will receive the compensation money.
The West German delegation was led by Paul Raab, director-general of the Foreign Ministry for juridical affairs. Professor Riccardo Monaco, of the Italian Foreign Ministry juridical department, headed the Italian negotiators. A joint communique issued at the close of the talks said that the purpose of the negotiations was to settle “pending financial issues deriving from the Second World War and the problems related to individual compensation for the victims of Nazi-Fascist persecution. “
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
