Reparations

In the Second Republic, a total of seven Restitution Laws were enacted between 1946 and 1949. The First, Second and especially the Third Restitution Laws are the most important laws on the restitution of property to Nazi victims in Austria. The First Restitution Law from July 26,1946, dealt with property confiscated by the German Reich under ownership of the Republic of Austria and the Austrian states. The Second Restitution Law from February 6, 1947, covered seized property owned by the Republic and the Third Restitution Law with privately owned property seized between 1938 and 1945. The further Restitution Laws regulated seized trade rights, claims arising from employment relationships, and other seized rights.

Despite the multiple Restitution Laws, little was done by the early Federal Governments of the Second Republic to compensate the victims of the Nazis. Finally, after long negotiations, Austria signed the Washington Agreement on June 6, 2001, and late but extensive restitution was granted to the victims of the Nazis and a gesture was made for the future with the establishment National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism, a mechanism for "compensation" had already been created in 1995, and with the Future Fund of the Republic of Austria, support for research on topics relating to Austria’s recent history was made possible.

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