About
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), a nonprofit organization with offices in New York, Israel, Germany and Austria, secures material compensation and care for Holocaust (Shoah) survivors around the world, engages in Shoah awareness education and Shoah education.
Founded in 1951 by representatives of 23 major international Jewish organizations, the Claims Conference negotiates for and disburses funds to individuals and organizations and seeks the return of Jewish property stolen during the Holocaust.
The Claims Conference Website:
claimscon.org
Payments and Aid to Austrian Holocaust Survivors:
https://www.claimscon.org/our-work/compensation/background/austria/
Subscribe to the Claims Conference mailing list:
www.claimscon.org/subscribe
As a result of negotiations with the Claims Conference since the Luxembourg Agreement in 1952, the German government has paid up to date approximately $95 billion in indemnification to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from persecution by the Nazis.
For 2025, the Claims Conference will distribute approximately $530 million in compensation for survivors globally and $960 million for survivors’ welfare needs such as home care, medicine and food.
The Claims Conference is committed to Holocaust education. It is essential to preserved the memory of the Shoah and honouring the victims and survivors. Shoah education ensures that future generations understand the magnitude greatest tragedy in human history, the dangers of antisemitism, racism, and hatred, and the importance of standing up against injustice.
By engaging in Shoah education, the Claims Conference helps to combat denial and distortion, promote historical accuracy, and strengthen awareness of the values of human dignity, tolerance, and responsibility. This commitment safeguards memory and fosters a world where the lessons of the Shoah guide humanity toward greater justice and compassion.
Claims Conference Negotiating Delegation 2023 headed by Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat along with Holocaust survivor leaders Ambassador Colette Avital and Marion Turski as well as Rabbi Andrew Baker and Executive Vice President Greg Schneider as well as Karen Heilig, Rüdiger Mahlo and Markus Feuerstein.
During Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Claims Conference actively assisted Shoah survivors by helping them reach Germany, ensuring their safety, and providing for their care.
The Claims Conference is a generous supporter of the academic next generation, working with leading research institutions to foster young scholars and to advance research and exchange on pre-war Europe and North Africa in their relationship to the Shoah.
The Claims Conference advocates for compensation and assistance for Holocaust survivors, as well as for the restitution and return of Jewish-owned property.
