The slow pace of German indemnification of individual victims of Nazism drew the fire of three major parties in the Bonn Parliament this week-end. The debate developed over a motion by the Social Democrats, who were joined in criticism of the indemnification program by a leading Christian Democrat and a leading member of the liberal wing of the Free Democratic Party.
In support of his motion, Social Democrat Dr. Adolph Arnd demanded to know why the government had failed to issue implementation and administrative regulations to the Federal Indemnification Law, which was passed 18 months ago. He also insisted that the equivalent of $60,000,000 be set aside for individual indemnification claims next year instead of the $36,000,000 planned by the government.
Replying, Secretary of State Hartmann, said that the regulations, in draft form, were now in the hands of the Cabinet. (These drafts have already drawn the fire of the Central Council of Jews in Germany as “inadequate.”) Herr Hartmann indicated that the budget estimates for indemnification would not be increased unless, “contrary to expectations,” it was found that $36,000,000 was insufficient for the purpose. The Social Democratic motion was then referred to the Budget Committee, presumably to be consigned to a pigeon hole.
During the debate, one of the strongest voices raised in criticism of the government’s lagging in indemnification was that of Prof. Franz Boehm, Christian Democrat and one-time head of the German delegation which worked out the Luxemburg agreement for reparations payments to Israel and world Jewry. He insisted that the Federal Government and the various provincial governments were attempting to out-wait each other on providing funds for indemnification.
Prof. H. Reif, leader of the Berlin Free Democrats, declared that the present state of affairs in indemnification was not to be tolerated any longer. The Parliamentary debate took place against a background of greater public awareness that former Nazis now in the Bonn Government have been assisting Ukrainian Fascists and Fascist groups from other East European countries who aided the Nazis during the war and are now refugees in Germany.
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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.
