Glossary

For a long time after 1945, forced labourers received no compensation payments from either West or East Germany. West Germany paid reparations to countries in the form of global agreements, but did not pay compensation to individuals. After former forced labourers filed class action suits against certain companies in the 1990s, the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future was established to provide individual payments to former forced labourers. A total of 4.4 billion euros was paid out to 16 million former forced labourers. But many of the former forced labourers were already dead or could not be traced. They never received compensation.