Those persecuted by the Nazis and their surviving relatives are not entitled to an extra month’s pension payment each year, similar to the bonuses received by most German wage-earners and salaried employees, the federal court in Karlsruhe decided last week.
The court, the Bundesgerichtshof, acted on the appeal of the widow of a Nazi persecute who has been receiving a state pension since 1986. She asked that a 13th monthly payment be transferred to her account each year, inasmuch as German workers are normally paid 13 months’ salary a year. The court’s ruling cannot be appealed.
Meanwhile, the economic institute Treuarbeit has refused to comment on its investigation into the embezzlement of reparations funds intended for Nazi victims by the late Werner Nachmann, who headed the West German Jewish community until his death in January.
The institute would not confirm reports that more money was misappropriated by Nachmann than the 33 million marks (now about $20 million) he was originally accused of transferring from the reparations account to his own use. According to the Treuarbeit, its probe so far has been inconclusive.
The charges against Nachmann were made last month by Heinz Galinski, who succeeded him as president of the Central Council of Jews.
The former secretary of the Central Council, Alexander Ginsburg, has admitted, meanwhile, that Nachmann transferred 30,000 marks ($17,000) from the reparations fund to the account of Ginsburg’s wife. He said they planned to pay it back.
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