Symbolic payments

Children of victims of the Nazi euthanasia in both Germany and Austria are entitled to a symbolic payment (“Gestezahlung”). The process for claiming this payment is different in the two countries.

In Austria, the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism was founded in 1995 with the objective of expressing Austria’s special responsibilities to the victims of National Socialism. The National Fund is based in the Parliament in Vienna. Application forms are available for download on the website of the National Fund http://de.nationalfonds.org/. There is no time limit for submitting an application.

In Germany, by contrast, there is no central agency that relatives of victims can contact. The arrangements for symbolic payments are different in the various German regions. Since 1987 the project group Bund der “Euthanasie”-Geschädigten und Zwangssterilisierten (“Alliance of Victims of ‘Euthanasia’ and Forced Sterilisation”) has helped relatives apply for the symbolic payment. You can find further information on the website of this voluntary project group: http://www.euthanasiegeschaedigte-zwangssterilisierte.de/. There is no time limit for submitting an application.