Material Justice

During a broadcast on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day by Germany's First Television Channel, Salo Muller, from the Netherlands, who had been persecuted by the Nazis, reacted with incomprehension and obvious annoyance at the German Chancellery's rejection.[1] Muller, whose parents had been deported to their deaths in Auschwitz, by the Deutsche Reichsbahn - with the collaboration of the state railroad of the Netherlands (Nederlands Spoorwegen), had survived as a six-year-old in various hideouts. Five decades later, he broke his silence, told his life story and demanded compensation from the Nederlands Spoorwegen - and the state-owned railroad paid.[2] Berlin did otherwise; the heir of the Reichsbahn is the direct accomplice to the murder of Muller's parents. For their trip to their deaths, the Reichsbahn collected mileage fees.

No "Extras"

Muller's cordial reminder of the unpaid debt landed on the desk of the sub-department directrice of Germany's Ministry of Finances. Because Germany "has already paid so much," there can be "no extra compensations," was the answer received from Berlin.[3] The German government has ruled on several petitions demanding material justice for children, who had been abducted from their parents to Germany with the same wording. These children had been housed in barracks by the Nazi's "Lebensborn" organization for the purpose of their "racial-rearing" and were registered as "Aryan" - resistance was met with whippings and revocation of meals. They were then adopted by pro-government German families.

"Fate"

Only a few of these now very old victims of the Nazis know their true origins. There are questions about their identities and the scope of the forced adoptions. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no information concerning this matter,"[4] according to a letter from the state secretary of the foreign ministry, as if it pertains to something extraneous. The German government instructs these German citizens that their "fate" is merely a "consequence of the war" with no "entitlement to benefits."[5] "Primarily," this fate was not aimed at "annihilation or unlawful detention of those concerned." Therefore, the coffers remain sealed, even for token benefits. However, the government sponsored Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" (EVZ) is available for "projects" that serve "understanding between peoples." They can apply for "funding" there."

Closure

It has been said that, since its creation 20 years ago by the German business community and the German government, the EVZ Foundation has been active in the "exclusion of legal claims from all victims of entrepreneurial activities" during the Nazi period with success,[6] even the "token compensation payments" for groups of victims classified "as most disabled," were insufficient. The objective was, in fact, to have "financial closure" [7] by paying crumbs, while sparing the Nazi's heirs a concrete tabulation of the debts their predecessors had accrued through their crimes ("legal security").

Political Corruption

The EVZ is one of a half-dozen state-supporting organizations that seeks to transform those criminal debts into long-forfeited legal titles and to distribute "spending change," as acts of selfless benevolence - especially abroad. To avoid paying reparations - as is consistently being demanded in Greece and Poland - Berlin creates bilateral "meeting places," "youth projects," or attempts to use a "Fund for Poland" to restore feudal castles in Warsaw, and build "memorials" in Berlin.[8] The German government can depend on renowned intellectuals remaining silent. They "do not want to jeopardize their complicated integration in Germany's realm of scholars" [9] - because "German subsidies, scholarships, lucrative prizes and awards, or invitations for research projects and lectures"[10] are alluring. The same can be said for the political corruption in journalism, and not just in Germany.

Victim-centered self-promotion

Whereas, on January 27, official Berlin will pride itself in its victim-centered self-promotion - while sparing the culprits' heirs - "a commemoration industry known as a 'European culture of remembrance' [has emerged], financed and controlled by Germany's political leadership."[11] Which crimes will not be mentioned and who the heirs of the culprits are, can be seen in the example of the state-owned DB-Group and its, so harmless seeming, freight enterprise DB Schenker. german-foreign-policy.com publishes today in conjunction with the "Train of Commemoration" Part 2 of the study "The Schenker Crimes".

Part 2 of "The Schenker Crimes" can be found here; Part 1 here.

[1] Salo Mullers Kampf um Entschädigung für Deportationsopfer. titel thesen temparamente (ttt). ARD, 24.01.2021, 23.05 Uhr.

[2] Schadevergoeding van NS is 'erkenning voor Holocaust-slachtoffers'. NOS Nieuws 28.11.2018.

[3] Salo Mullers Kampf um Entschädigung für Deportationsopfer. titel thesen temparamente (ttt). ARD, 24.01.2021, 23.05 Uhr.

[4] Auswärtiges Amt. Staatssekretär Dr. Harald Braun. Schreiben vom 13.07.2012.

[5] Bundesministerium der Finanzen. Gz VB1 - VV 5027/12/10003. Schreiben vom 24.05.2012.

[6] Anja Hense: Verhinderte Entschädigung. Die Entstehung der Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft für die Opfer von NS-Zwangsarbeit und "Arisierung". Münster 2008. S. 264 f.

[7] Otto Graf Lambsdorff, zit. n. Anja Hense, a.a.O., S. 226.

[8] See also Achthundert Milliarden.

[9] Karl-Heinz Roth, Hartmut Rübner: Verdrängt, Vertagt, Zurückgewiesen. Die deutsche Reparationsschuld am Beispiel Polens und Griechenlands. Berlin 2019. S. 366.

[10] Arkadiusz Mularzcyk: Deutsche Reparationen - Polnische Positionen. Zitiert nach: Karl-Heinz Roth, Hartmut Rübner, a.a.O., S. 366.

[11] Karl-Heinz Roth, Hartmut Rübner: Verdrängt, Vertagt, Zurückgewiesen. Die deutsche Reparationsschuld am Beispiel Polens und Griechenlands. Berlin 2019. S. 372.