Jewish Refugees from Austria Living Abroad Eligible for Compensation

Jewish victims of the Nazi regime in Austria who now live abroad will be eligible for compensation from funds in Austria for victims of Nazi persecution, toward which the West German Government has agreed this week to contribute about $25, 000, 000, to be applied to supplement compensation payments by the Austrian Government, it was learned here today.

Jewish refugees of this category far outnumber the number of Jews entitled to compensation who still reside in Austria, it was pointed out. The arrangement to secure payments for Austrian Jewish persecutees who no longer live in Austria was reached as a result of talks between Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and other West German officials. The talks took place prior to the West German agreement to contribute to Austria’s compensation fund.

According to details made public here today, the sum of 100, 000, 000 Deutschemarks (about $25,000,000) out of the 321, 000,000 Deutschemark overall settlement between West Germany and Austria will be applied to supplement compensation payments by Austria to victims of Nazi persecution. Austrian legislation to compensate Jewish and other victims of the Nazi regime, adopted earlier this year, was contingent on a West German contribution to the compensation funds.

The overall West German-Austrian settlement this week also included a figure of between 70 and 100 million Deutschemarks to make good to the Austrian Government for the Nazi looting of Austrian social insurance funds in 1938. The agreement also provides about 150, 000, 000 Deutschemarks to be paid to ethnic German refugees residing in Austria, who fled from Communist-dominated countries after 1945. West German legislation provides compensation for these ethnic German refugees.