Sources of Information and Application Forms for Claimants

Listed below are the addresses, fax, and telephone numbers (including e-mail and Internet sites when available) of private and governmental organizations that are currently assisting with claims, compensation, and restitution of Holocaust-era assets (works of art, dormant bank accounts, unpaid insurance claims, property, etc.).

Allianz Insurance Group--There is no address listed but they do provide a 24-hour, multi-lingual help line for claimants seeking recovery of payments from property, casualty, and life insurance policies from this German company at 1-800-411-0118.

American Jewish Committee Research Department (regarding restitution of Jewish property in Central and Eastern Europe):
 

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJJDC) for restitution for needy Holocaust victims in the United States who resided in the former Eastern Bloc during and after World War II from the "International Fund for Needy Victims of Nazi Persecution." This fund was created by the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and other nations during the London Nazi Gold Conference, December 1997. For claims in the United States contact:
 

Argentina -- Commission of Enquiry into the Activities of Nazism in Argentina (CEANA) [in Spanish, Comisi?n para el Esclarecimiento de las Actividades del Nazismo en la Rep?blica Argentina (CEANA)]. An international panel of 17 members and 10 research units was created by President Carlos Menem on May 6, 1997, to investigate Argentina's role in aiding escaped Nazi criminals, the transfer of looted Nazi treasures, and other wartime dealings with the Third Reich. All final reports from the 10 research units are expected by the end of June 1999. Contact them at:
 

Art Loss Register (regarding stolen or missing works of art) contact:

Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. (Italy's largest insurance company) for application forms to file insurance claims or to request an archival research contact them at:
 

Austrian Bank Claims for dormant account claims in Austrian banks contact:

 Austrian National Fund for the Victims of National Socialism
Thus far, 23,296 persons in 65 countries have received assistance through the fund.
Application for compensation may be made through the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. by contacting:
 

(British Government) Enemy Property Payment Scheme

During World War II, the British government confiscated property in the United Kingdom belonging to residents of countries that were at war with Britain and her allies. Unfortunately, some of the property confiscated belonged to victims of the Holocaust and was not returned to the rightful owners after the war. Information on filing a claim can be obtained from the Panel Secretariat at:
 

California Holocaust Insurance Settlement Alliance contact:

Claims for Jewish Slave-Labour Compensation
This association represents Jewish ghetto and concentration camp survivors who, during the Holocaust, were forcibly used by the Third Reich and German firms as slave labor in Germany and other nations occupied by the Nazis during World War II. Contact information in the United States is currently unavailable.
 

Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll--two law offices in Washington, D.C., and Seattle, Washington. For information on the $1.25 million lawsuit against Swiss banks on dormant war-era bank accounts and pending litigation on World War II-era slave laborers contact:
 

Commission for Art Recovery for a copy of a claim form and instructions contact:

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Treasury Department

Anyone from the state of Pennsylvania with reason to believe that assets deposited in Swiss banks between January 1, 1933, and May 9, 1945, belonging to them or a relative to which they are an heir are urged to contact this office. Also, persons with claims on insurance policies issued by a European insurance company prior to and during World War II should contact this office as well. Unfortunately, no address is currently available.

Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Inc. (a.k.a "Claims Conference") in the United States:
 

Dormant Swiss Bank Accounts--for information on claims contact:

Dormant Accounts in Switzerland
Applicants must write a short letter asking for the dormant account questionaire. Please indicate in which language you prefer the questionaire to be written. Additional information on how to pursue a claim on a dormant account is Switzerland is available from the Swiss Embassy at (202) 745-7900 (phone) or (202) 387-2564 (fax).
If You wish to make a claim on a dormant account you believe to be held by a bank in Switzerland, pleas contact the following:

(German) Article 2 Fund
This fund was created to compensate Jewish victims in the former East Germany after the reunification of Germany. This decision was formalized in Article 2 of the "Agreement on the Enactment and Interpretation of the Unification Treaty" of September 18, 1990, that unified Germany. Applications for compensation under the Article 2 Fund are still being accepted. Jewish victims of Nazi persecution are eligible if they: 1) were 6 months or longer in a concentration camp or 18 months or longer in a ghetto or 18 months or longer in hiding; and 2) received no more than DM 10,000 in previous compensation; and 3) currently live under difficult financial circumstances. If eligible, compensation is a lifetime pension in the amount of DM 500 per month. Interested parties should request an application from:
 

(German) Hardship Fund
Applications for compensation under the Hardship Fund are still being accepted. Compensation is available to Jewish victims of Nazi persecution who have received no previous compensation and currently live under difficult financial conditions. Compensation under the Hardship Fund consists of a one-time payment of DM 5000. Contact the following:
 

Holocaust Art Restitution Project (HARP) at:

Holocaust Claims Processing Office, New York State Banking Department at:

Independent Committee of Eminent Persons (ICEP) a.k.a. Volcker Commission: The Independent Committee of Eminent Persons

International Commission on Holocaust Insurance Claims (ICHEIC). For World War II-era insurance claims, contact the address and telephone number listed below. Please note: Residents of California, Florida, New York, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania should contact their state insurance commissioners for further updates.
 

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) contact:

Norwegian Compensation Fund established by the Norwegian Ministry of Justice
for persons who suffered anti-Jewish measures in Norway during World War II. Deadline for applications is November 1, 1999. Application forms are available from:
 

Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States

A non-partisan commission of 21 members established by Public Law 105-186, "to conduct a thorough study and develop a historical record of any assets obtained from Holocaust victims that came in possession or control of the United States government." The commission will submit reports and recommendations to the President of the United States for further administrative or legislative action. They can be contacted at:
 

Swiss Bureau on Looted Art contact:

Swiss Holocaust Task Force (officially disbanded on March 31, 1999)

Swiss Special Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust/Shoah

This fund was created in February 1997 by the Swiss Federal Council to assist needy victims in the United States, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. Note: new applications are no longer being accepted. On February 26, 1999, checks of $502 each were mailed to accepted applicants. The notification letters to those applicants who did not meet the eligibility criteria were also mailed on that date. Final judgement on disputed claims was made in August 1999.
 

United Restitution Organization provides legal assistance for individuals in claims against Germany, for a nominal fee. Contact them at:

The World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) is headquartered in Israel:

*Prepared by Barbara A. Salazar, Information Research Specialist, Information Research Division.