Ekkehard Huebschmann

To find a specific restitution or compensation file in West German archives, one has to know the development of the indemnification laws, the laws to access the files, and their complex system. The first restitution laws were enacted by the Western Military Governments. These laws were continued and expanded by West Germany, but their execution was assigned to the eleven Federal States, each of which has different procedures. This lecture explains what information can be found in the files, such as personal letters describing experiences of oppression and persecution and proof of lost family items and assets. It explains how to access the files, which have not been scanned and are not accessible by computer.