FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1997 (202) 616-2777 TDD (202) 514-1888 MORE THAN 200 U.S. SURVIVORS OF NAZI PERSECUTION MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR GERMAN REPARATIONS WASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than 200 survivors of the Holocaust who were American citizens at the time of their persecution may be eligible for reparations from the German government under a decision issued today by the Justice Department's Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. The decision follows an extensive effort led by Attorney General Janet Reno to identify living individuals who survived Nazi concentration camps during World War II and were U.S. citizens at the time. The decision describes the criteria the Commission will use in adjudicating the nearly 1,000 claims that have been filed with the Holocaust Claims Program. The program, which is administered by the Commission, grew out of an agreement reached between Germany and the United States in September 1995. Under the agreement, Germany agreed to pay reparations to certain U.S. victims of Nazi persecution. "No one knows for sure how many Americans were held in Nazi concentration camps, much less how many still are living today," said Delissa Ridgway, Chair of the Commission. "When we began the claims program last year, we were told we would probably find only a dozen or so. The response to our outreach campaign has far exceeded all expectations." Following the 1995 agreement, Congress passed legislation authorizing the Commission to determine which claims are valid. Beginning in June 1996, the Commission, with the help of Reno, began an extensive search for potential claimants. By the February 1997 deadline, the Commission had received inquiries from thousands of individuals thinking they might be eligible. Today's decision is the first step in clarifying the categories of people eligible to claim reparations, under the 1995 agreement with Germany and related legislation. It is expected that more than 200 individuals may be eligible to receive compensation. After a 15-day comment period, the Commission will proceed to determine the validity of each individual claim. In September, the Commission will certify its decisions to the State Department. The State Department will then use those findings to negotiate a final settlement with Germany. Under the 1995 agreement, Germany paid a total of three million marks (about $2.1 million) to other previously-identified Americans who survived Nazi concentration camps. One of these Americans was Hugo Princz, a survivor of Auschwitz and Dachau, who fought a 40-year battle for reparations. That first group of claims was paid in early Fall 1995. The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission is an independent quasi-judicial agency in the Justice Department that works to resolve claims of U.S. citizens against foreign countries. Currently, the Commission is deciding claims against Albania and registering claims against Iraq. In 1995, the Commission completed adjudicating more than 3,000 claims against Iran, and prior to that decided claims against Poland, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, Egypt, China, Vietnam and Cuba. Copies of today's decision can be obtained at the Justice Department's Office of Public Affairs at 202-616-2777 or at WWW.USDOJ.GOV. # # # 97-249