Jews Urged to File Their Claims Against Germany; Reminded of Deadline

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany today urged all potential claimants to register their claims as soon as possible. It called attention to the fact that all applications under the following compensation and restitution laws promulgated by the West German Government must be filed with the competent authorities before April 1, 1958.

1. Federal Indemnification Law which deals with claims for deprivation or restriction of liberty such as the wearing of the Jewish badge, imprisonment in concentration camps, injuries to health, the loss of family providers, damages to property and losses arising from discriminatory taxes and vocational and economic pursuits.

Eligible are, in addition to present and former residents of West Germany, roughly emigrants from East Germany, including East Berlin; persecutees who were in a DP camp in West Germany on April 1, 1947; persons of German culture and language from areas from which Germans were expelled after the last war; stateless persons and refugees including those who were naturalized anywhere after the end of the war.

2. Federal Restitution Law which deals with claims for assets which cannot be restituted in nature such as bank accounts, securities, jewelry, objects formed of precious metals, personal valuables, household goods, etc., confiscated by the Third Reich.

Claims may also be filed if the property was confiscated outside West Germany, including West Berlin, but was thereafter brought to a particular place in West Germany, to West Germany as such or to Greater Berlin or – if the owner was a resident of West Germany – the property was confiscated outside West Germany,or West Berlin.