Leaders of Germany’s provincial governments have picked up the cue dropped by Fritz Schaeffer. Bonn Justice Minister, and have begun blaming the economic situation of their state governments on “miscalculations” of restitution compensation due victims of the Nazis.
In Dusseldorf, Willi Weyer, Finance Minister of Northrhine-Westphalia, “old the provincial legislature that incorrect estimates of the obligations assumed in the Federal Indemnification Law had “burdened” the state.
He was picked up on this by a Christian Democratic deputy who demanded that the state’s obligations not be used to cut down the claims of those entitled to compensation A similar view was expressed by a Social Democratic deputy who, however, agreed that Northrhine-Westphalia’s obligations were “disproportionate.”
The Finance Minister of Rhineland-Pfalz, Dr. M. Nowack, blamed a state deficit of 52,000,000 deutsche marks on a miscalculation of anticipated income tax returns and of obligations to the Nazi victims. He “recognized” the moral necessity of paying compensation but complained that if they had to do it all over again the German states would not enter into the same contracts as far as their share of compensation was concerned.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
