Historical Background

Measures taken between 1945-1995

1945

May:

Establishment of the Federal Ministry for Securing Property and Economic Planning. Its responsibilities include, among other things, the recording, securing, administration and utilization of former National-Socialist assets and "aryanized" assets.

Starting in May:

Implementation of the Welfare Commission, which took on the responsibility of providing for returnees from the war and concentration camps.

May 8:

Prohibition Act: Ban on the NSDAP and its defensive associations. NSDAP assets fall to Austria.

May 10:

Law on the Registration of "Aryanized" and Other Assets Seized in Connection with the National-Socialists' Takeover of Power.

May 10:

Law of the Appointment of Public Administrators and Public Supervisors (Verwaltergesetz) which enabled companies to be placed under public administration.

May 10:

Law on the repatriation of public assets (Repatriation Act).

June 26:

War Criminals Act: Punishment of "Actions/Crimes against Humanity", war and international law applicable for the seizure of the perpetrator's entire assets in the event of a conviction.

July 17:

Law on the welfare of the victims of the struggle for a free and democratic Austria (Victims Welfare Act).

1946

May 15:

Federal law on the nullity of all legal transactions and other legal actions carried out during the German occupation of Austria (Nullity Act).

July 26:

Federal law on the restitution of seized assets administered by the federal government or its federal provinces (1st Restitution Act).

1947

February 6:

Federal law on the restitution of seized assets owned by the Republic of Austria (2nd Restitution Act).

February 6:

Federal law on the annulment of asset seizures (3rd Restitution Act).

February 6:

Federal constitutional law on the treatment of National Socialists (National Socialists Act with provisions on "Denazification").

February 6:

Federal law on the return of assets of dissolved or banned democratic organizations (1st Return of Assets Act).

May 21:

Federal law concerning the forced amendment or abolition of company names under the National-Socialist regime (4th Restitution Act).

July 4:

Law on the welfare of the victims of the struggle for a free and democratic Austria and the victims of political persecution (Victims Welfare Act).

November 19:

Federal law on the assertion of restitution claims of dissolved Austrian consumer cooperatives (1st Restitution Claims Act).

1949

June 22:

Federal law on the restitution of seized assets of legal business entities who were forced to relinquish their legal personality under National-Socialism (5th Restitution Act).

June 30:

Federal law on the restitution of intellectual property rights (6th Restitution Act).

June 22:

Federal law on the claims for restoration of dissolved or prohibited democratic organizations as leaseholders (2nd Return of Assets Act).

July 14:

Federal law concerning the assertion of claims arising from service contracts with private employers (7th Restitution Act).

July 14:

Federal law on the assertion of claims lost between March 1933 and March 1938 from service contracts with private employers (3rd Return of Assets Act).

1951

July 11:

Federal law on the transfer of claims for restitution of assets of a number of legal entities, who during the German occupation of Austria lost and subsequently regained their legal personality (2nd Restitution Claims Act).

1953

End of June:

Beginning of negotiations between the Jewish Claims Committee and the Austrian federal government on compensation payments.

December 16:

Federal law on the transfer of claims for restitution from assets of additional legal entities who during Austria's occupation by Germany lost and subsequently failed to regain their legal personality, and on the amendment of and supplement to the 2nd Restitution Claims Act (3rd Restitution Claims Act).

1955

May 15:

The State Treaty is signed. Article 26 addresses the claims of victims of National-Socialist persecution for asset restitution and the restoration of their legal rights and/or claims for compensation, should restitution not be possible. In addition, the State Treaty stipulates that "heirless assets" are to be used for the relief and rehabilitation of victims of National-Socialist persecution (formation of Collection Agencies).

1956

January 18:

Federal law, under which federal funds are earmarked for aiding politically persecuted individuals, who have their domicile and permanent residence abroad (Assistance Fund Act).

1957

March 13:

Law on the creation of collecting organizations (Collection Agencies) pursuant to Article 26(2) of the State Treaty. The objective of the Collection Agencies is to catalogue "heirless Jewish" (Collection Agency A) and "heirless non-Jewish" (Collection Agency B) assets und and their use in aid of the victims of National Socialism.

March 14:

General amnesty for former National Socialists (NS Amnesty).

1958

June 25:

Federal law on the granting of compensation for damage of household belongings incurred as a result of war or political persecution and of objects necessary for the exercise of an occupation (War and Persecution-Related Material Damage Act– KVSG).

June 26:

Federal law concerning the settlement of life insurance claims confiscated by the German Reich (Insurance Indemnification Act).

1961

March 22:

Federal law, under which federal funds were earmarked for the creation of a fund to settle cases involving the loss of assets of victims of political persecution (Settlement Fund Act).

March 22:

12th amendment to the Victims Welfare Act.

May 17:

Federal law on the claims asserted by the receiving organizations for the restitution of assets pursuant to restitution legislation (4th Restitution Claims Act).

June:

Bad Kreuznach Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the federal Republic of Germany to identify displaced persons, resettlers and victims of persecution, and concerning additional financial and social issues.

1969

June 27:

First Act on the Determination of Ownership of Works of Art and Cultural Assets to establish the ownership status of works of art and cultural assets in the custody of the Federal Monument Office.

1985

December 13:

Second Act on the Determination of Ownership of Works of Art and Cultural Assets on the release and use of formerly ownerless works of art and cultural assets owned by the federal government.

1988

March 23:

Federal law, under which one-time honorary grants and assistance are paid to resistance fighters and victims of political persecution and the 1988 Federal Finance Law and the Victims Welfare Act were amended (Honorary Grants and Assistance Fund Act).

1995

June 1:

Establishment of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the victims of National Socialism (Federal Law Gazette. No. 432/1995).




Sources:

Forum Politische Bildung (ed.): Wieder gut machen? Enteignung, Zwangsarbeit, Entschädigung, Restitution (Sonderband der Informationen zur Politischen Bildung). Innsbruck–Vienna 1999, pp. 178 et seq.
www.nationalfonds.org (Oct. 6, 2003),
www.historikerkommission.gv.at (Oct. 6, 2003),
www.museum-joanneum.at (Oct. 6, 2003),
www.linz.at/archiv/gurlitt/bericht.htm (Oct. 6, 2003),
www.stadtbibliothek.wien.at (Oct. 6, 2003),
www.museum.vienna.at (Oct. 6, 2003),
www.salzburg.gv.at//themen/ks/kultur/galerie.htm/ (Oct. 6, 2003),
www.histcom.at (Oct. 6, 2003),
Own research: Among other places in the archives of the dailies "Der Standard" and "Kurier".