Holocaust-Era Assets

Claims Information and Resources

Conference On Jewish Material Claims Against Germany

15 East 26th Street
New York, NY 10010
Tel.: (212) 696-4944
Fax: (212) 679-2126
E-mail: info@claimscon.org
website: www.claimscon.org/RestitutionGuide.html
This website has a comprehensive guide to restitution and restitution claims, broken out into various sections listed below:

  1. COMPENSATION PAYMENTS
  2. RESTITUTION OF REAL ESTATE AND ASSETS
  3. U.S. TAX REGULATIONS FOR COMPENSATION
  4. NAZI GOLD
  5. PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON HOLOCAUST ASSETS
  6. IMMEDIATE RELIEF FOR NEEDY VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST
  7. JEWISH GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH AND TRACING SERVICES
  8. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
  9. APPENDIX
  10. INDEX OF ORGANIZATIONS

Holocaust Claims Processing Office of the New York State Banking Department

New York State Banking Department
Holocaust Claims Processing Office [not just for NY residents]
2 Rector St.
New York, NY 10006
Tel.: 1-800-695-3318 or (212) 618-6983 Fax: (212) 618-6908
E-mail: claimsques@banking.state.ny.us
website: www.claims.state.ny.us

Simon Wiesenthal Center

General information: 800-900-9036
website: www.wiesenthal.com
Website has a Holocaust Assets section that has various links to Holocaust-Era asset issues, records, and claim procedures.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

General Information: 202-488-0400
website: www.ushmm.org/assets
This website contains lists, by country, and by governmental and private organizations, of attempts to trace Holocaust-Era assets; archival resources (including images of source documents); information for Holocaust survivors and heirs seeking reparations; proceedings of the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets; and, other useful information.

INSURANCE POLICIES

In 1998, representatives from the State of Israel, the World Jewish Restitution Organization, the Claims Conference, the United States Insurance Commissioners, European Insurance Supervisory authorities and five European insurance companies-Allianz AG, AXA, Generali, Zurich and Winterthur Leben-signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which they agreed to form an International Commission on Holocaust-Era Insurance Claims with the goal of resolving insurance claims of Holocaust victims. The International Commission, chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, plans to establish a procedure for investigating the status of insurance policies and hopes to resolve all of the claims within two years, during which payments to survivors and their heirs will be made. An announcement should be made shortly regarding the claims process. It will be launched with an extensive outreach program and media campaign, including toll-free hot lines for requesting detailed information packs and claims forms, and advice on completing claims. For more information, please contact:

International Commission on Holocaust-Era Insurance
Claims: Washington Office
1300 L St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
Tel.: (202) 289-4100 Fax: (202) 289-4101
Website:www.icheic.org

The Holocaust Claims Processing Office of the New York State Banking Department is currently accepting claims against European insurance companies. For more information, contact the HCPO at:

New York State Banking Department
Holocaust Claims Processing Office
2 Rector St.
New York, NY 10006
Tel.: 1-800-695-3318 or (212) 618-6983 Fax: (212) 618-6908
e-mail: claimsques@banking.state.ny.us
website: www.claims.state.ny.us

In addition, the Departments of Insurance in California and Florida are also accepting claims against European insurance companies. For more information, please contact:
California Department of Insurance
Holocaust Insurance Claims
Attn: Leslie Tick,
Senior Staff Counsel
45 Fremont St., 23rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Tel.: (415) 538-4190 Fax: (415) 904-5896

Florida Department of Insurance

Holocaust Victims Project
Attn: Karen Asher Cohen,
General Deputy Counsel
200 East Gaines St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-4205
Tel.: (850) 920-3110 (ext. 4239) Fax: (850) 488-6129

SLAVE AND FORCED LABOR COMPENSATION

In July 2000, the Federal Republic of Germany passed a law establishing the foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future." The foundation is to distribute payments from the foundation's capital of DM 10 billion to partner organizations that will distribute the funds to qualified claimants.

The German law considers claims by actual victims for the following: Labor performed while detained in a concentration camp or concentration camp-like facility during the Nazi era. (The heirs of those laborers who died after February 15, 1999 are also eligible to file.) Labor performed while detained in a labor camp (prison-like or extremely harsh living conditions) during the Nazi era. (The heirs of those laborers who died after February 15, 1999 are also eligible to file.); Injuries to or death of a child lodged in a home for children of forced laborers, damage incurred through medical experimentation, and other non-labor related personal injuries suffered during the Nazi era.

The German law allows for claims by victims or their heirs for the following: Property loss or damage caused by German companies during the Nazi era, including claims against German banks and insurance companies.

Under the German law, the foundation is authorized to carry out the disbursement function based upon the place of residence of the eligible applicants. Current residents of the U.S. or any other country should submit applications using the following guidelines:

Jewish victims should submit applications to:
Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany
15 East 26th Street
New York, NY 10010
Telephone: 212-696-4944 Fax: 212 679-2126
Website: www.claimscon.org
E-mail: info@ClaimsCon.org

Non-Jewish victims should submit applications to:
International Organization for Migration
Slave and Forced Labour Compensation Project
1752 N Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Telephone: 202-862-1826 Fax: 202-862-1879

SWISS BANK ACCOUNTS

In August 1998, Switzerland's two largest commercial banks, UBS AG and Credit Suisse, agreed to pay $1.25 billion to settle a variety of Holocaust-related allegations against Swiss banks, businesses and the Swiss government. The agreement is intended to settle the claims of tens of thousands of survivors whose families lost assets in World War II and also to end all claims against the Swiss National Bank and all other Swiss commercial banks. Included in the settlement are victims or targets of Nazi persecution and, in some cases, those who have claims against Swiss banks for deposited or looted assets or for slave labor performed for Swiss companies or companies that deposited the assets in Switzerland. In addition, victims or targets of Nazi persecution who unsuccessfully sought entry into Switzerland or who were mistreated after entry are covered under the settlement. Heirs to all such individuals are also included in the settlement. For information about dormant accounts, the settlement, or regarding filing a claim please see:

www.swissbankclaims.com
www.dormantaccounts.ch
or call toll free [English, Hebrew, Yiddish] 888-635-5483
In addition, two offices exist in the United States for filing claims for dormant accounts and for obtaining more information on Holocaust claims:
New York State Banking Department
Holocaust Claims Processing Office
2 Rector St.
New York, NY 10006
Tel.: 1-800-695-3318 or (212) 618-6983 Fax: (212) 618-6908
E-mail: claimsques@banking.state.ny.us
Website: www.claims.state.ny.us

The offices of the accounting firm Ernst & Young, under the auspices of the Swiss Bankers Association, is also helping individuals file claims:

Ernst & Young
c/o dormant accounts
787 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY 10019
Tel.: 1-800-662-7708 or (212) 344-0610

Top