Federal association for information and advice for victims of Nazi persecution
The Federal Association Information & Advice for Nazi Persecutees eV is an independent organization that represents the interests of all Nazi persecuted. The Federal Association advises those affected on compensation issues and is committed to improving their living situation with social projects. The association is also the point of contact for the descendants of victims of Nazi persecution, who are often influenced by the traumatic experiences of their parents' generation. With its contemporary witness projects, the Federal Association brings survivors of Nazi persecution together with young people and thus contributes to the prevention of group-related misanthropy .
history
Foundation and members
It was founded in 1992 by associations of victims of Nazi persecution and committed individuals. The aim was to represent the interests of the survivors of the National Socialist persecution and to provide them with advice and help. In addition to many interested individuals, the members of the federal association include organizations such as Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste , the association of those persecuted by the Nazi regime - the Association of Antifascists , the Lesbian and Gay Association in Germany , the working group of formerly persecuted social democrats , the Ravensbrück camp community and the Cologne Society for Christian-Jewish cooperation.
Chairperson
- 1992–1994 Peter Liebermann
- 1994–1997 Lothar Evers
- 1997–1999 Hans Frankenthal
- 2000–2012 Regina Suderland
- Felix Kolmer since 2012
Milestones
From 1992 to 1997 the Federal Association for Information & Advice for Victims of National Socialism successfully campaigned for the establishment of a hardship fund for victims of Nazi persecution in North Rhine-Westphalia . Since then, needy survivors residing in North Rhine-Westphalia can receive financial support there.
In 1994 the federal association and other organizations achieved compensation for the surviving victims of Nazi military justice . Until then, they had not received any compensation.
Together with the American Jewish Committee and other persecuted associations, the Federal Association successfully initiated a campaign for Holocaust survivors in Eastern and Central Europe in 1995 .
The federal association made a major contribution to the negotiations that led to the establishment of the Foundation for Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) in 2000. Since then the Foundation EVZ has paid out more than 4.5 billion euros to more than 1.66 million surviving Nazi forced laborers. To this day, the federal association is the only German organization for persecuted people to have a seat on the board of trustees of the Foundation EVZ.
From 2001 to 2004, the Federal Association, in a research network with the Federal Archives and the International Tracing Service, obtained more than 40,000 former forced laborers evidence of forced labor and thereby helped those affected to get the compensation they were entitled to.
From 2005 to 2007, the federal association in North Rhine-Westphalia carried out the model project “Adaptation of the care systems for elderly care to the needs of older victims of Nazi persecution” . In this way, employees and providers of care for the elderly were made aware of the special needs of the survivors.
With the contemporary witness theater , the federal association carried out another important pilot project. The premiere took place in February 2014 at the Leibniz Gymnasium in Dormagen. As part of the project, survivors of the Nazi regime worked with schoolchildren to develop their story of persecution in the form of a play. In January 2015, the group traveled to Israel for another performance.
Current projects
Since 1997, the federal association has offered the transfer center to improve information and advice for victims of Nazi persecution in North Rhine-Westphalia . It is financed by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and is the point of contact for all victims of Nazi persecution in North Rhine-Westphalia for questions about compensation and care for the elderly.
Since March 2005, the federal association has been organizing storytelling and meeting cafés for survivors of Nazi persecution at various locations . Those affected can exchange ideas in a protected setting in the meeting café and receive support from the employees of the federal association and a team of volunteers. The cafes open several times a year and become narrative cafes. Then one of the survivors reports on his / her fate in persecution. The storytelling and meeting cafés are currently being offered in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Recklinghausen.
In 2009, the federal association launched the "Warm Home" project . First, as part of the project, Russian-speaking survivors of Nazi persecution met in the Cologne area for a private exchange. Since the beginning of 2016, the federal association has expanded the project to other cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. There are now "warm homes" in Essen, Düsseldorf, Ratingen, Dortmund and Münster.
Since January 2015, the Federal Association has been offering a voluntary visit and escort service for survivors of Nazi persecution in Cologne. With the model project, the Federal Association wants to counteract the isolation of those affected.
The association has also been dealing intensively with the situation of the descendants of survivors for years . He advises those affected, bundles their interests and organizes events, specialist meetings and conferences. In June 2015 the Federal Association invited to the “Second Generation” conference in Berlin. The results of the event are summarized in the anthology "Descendants of Nazi Victims - Challenges and Perspectives" published by Mabuse Verlag in March 2016. The federal association is currently working on setting up an online platform for future generations.
Awards
In 2000 the association was awarded the Democracy Prize, and in 2004 the Bilz Prize. In 2016 the Federal Association received the Active for Democracy and Tolerance Award .