Sources of Information and Application Forms for Claimants*

(November 24, 1999)

Listed below are the addresses, fax, and telephone numbers (including e-mail and Internet sites when available) of private and governmental organizations that are currently assisting with claims, compensation, and restitution of Holocaust-era assets (works of art, dormant bank accounts, unpaid insurance claims, property, etc.).

Allianz Insurance Group--There is no address listed but they do provide a 24-hour, multi-lingual help line for claimants seeking recovery of payments from property, casualty, and life insurance policies from this German company at 1-800-411-0118.

American Jewish Committee Research Department (regarding restitution of Jewish property in Central and Eastern Europe):
 

American Jewish Committee Research Department	Tel: 212-751-4000
165 East 56th Street
New York, NY 10022-2746

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJJDC) for restitution for needy Holocaust victims in the United States who resided in the former Eastern Bloc during and after World War II from the "International Fund for Needy Victims of Nazi Persecution." This fund was created by the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and other nations during the London Nazi Gold Conference, December 1997. For claims in the United States contact:
 

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee	Tel: (212) 687-6200
711 3rd Avenue	Fax: (212) 682-7262
New York, NY 10017-4014	E-mail: [email protected]

Argentina -- Commission of Enquiry into the Activities of Nazism in Argentina (CEANA) [in Spanish, Comisi�n para el Esclarecimiento de las Actividades del Nazismo en la Rep�blica Argentina (CEANA)]. An international panel of 17 members and 10 research units was created by President Carlos Menem on May 6, 1997, to investigate Argentina's role in aiding escaped Nazi criminals, the transfer of looted Nazi treasures, and other wartime dealings with the Third Reich. All final reports from the 10 research units are expected by the end of June 1999. Contact them at:
 

Comisi�n para el Esclarecimiento de las Actividades del Nazismo en la Rep�blica Argentina (CEANA)
Reconquista 1088	Internet at: [http://www.ceana.org.ar]
1023 Capital Federal
ATTN: Guido Di Tella, President (Foreign Minister of Argentina)

Art Loss Register (regarding stolen or missing works of art) contact:

The Art Loss Register	Tel: (212) 262-4831
666 Fifth Avenue, 21st Floor	Fax: (212) 262-4838
New York, NY 10103	E-mail: [email protected]

Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. (Italy's largest insurance company) for application forms to file insurance claims or to request an archival research contact them at:
 

Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.	Tel: 1-800-456-8174
Policy Information Center
45 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 200
New York, NY 10111-0100

Austrian Bank Claims for dormant account claims in Austrian banks contact:

Austrian Bank Holocaust Litigation
c/o Plaintiffs Class Counsel	E-mail at: [email protected]
P.O. Box 1650	Internet at: [http://www.austrianbankclaims.com]
Philadelphia, PA 19105-1650 USA

 Austrian National Fund for the Victims of National Socialism
Thus far, 23,296 persons in 65 countries have received assistance through the fund.
Application for compensation may be made through the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. by contacting:
 

Mrs. Ingrid Richardson	Tel: (202) 895-6719
Consular Attache for Legal and Social Security Affairs	Fax: (202) 895-6772
Embassy of Austria	E-mail: [email protected]
3524 International Court, NW	Internet at: [http://www.austria.org/]
Washington, D.C. 20008-3035

(British Government) Enemy Property Payment Scheme

During World War II, the British government confiscated property in the United Kingdom belonging to residents of countries that were at war with Britain and her allies. Unfortunately, some of the property confiscated belonged to victims of the Holocaust and was not returned to the rightful owners after the war. Information on filing a claim can be obtained from the Panel Secretariat at:
 

The Enemy Property Claims Assessment Panel	Tel: +44 171 215 3485
Bay 116-118	Fax: +44 171 215 3487
10 Victoria Street	E-mail address: [email protected]
London SW1H 0NN	Internet at: [http://www.enemyproperty.gov.uk]
United Kingdom

California Holocaust Insurance Settlement Alliance contact:

California Department of Insurance	Tel: 1-888-234-4636
ATTN: Leslie Tick or Risa Salat-Kolm	Internet at: [www.insurance.ca.gov]
California Department of Insurance
45 Fremont Street, 23rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105

Claims for Jewish Slave-Labour Compensation
This association represents Jewish ghetto and concentration camp survivors who, during the Holocaust, were forcibly used by the Third Reich and German firms as slave labor in Germany and other nations occupied by the Nazis during World War II. Contact information in the United States is currently unavailable.
 

Claims for Jewish Slave-Labour Compensation	Tel: 01483 751541
6 Poole Road	Fax: 01483 771137
Woking, Surrey
GU21 1DY, United Kingdom

Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll--two law offices in Washington, D.C., and Seattle, Washington. For information on the $1.25 million lawsuit against Swiss banks on dormant war-era bank accounts and pending litigation on World War II-era slave laborers contact:
 

Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C.	Tel: (202) 408-4600
1100 New York Avenue, N.W.	Fax: (202) 408-4699
Suite 500, West Tower	E-mail at [email protected]
Washington, D.C. 20005	Internet at: [http://www.cmht.com/]
Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C.	Tel: (206) 521-0080
999 Third Avenue, Suite 3600	Fax: (206) 521-0166
Seattle, Washington 98104

Commission for Art Recovery for a copy of a claim form and instructions contact:

Commission for Art Recovery	Tel: (212) 521-0102
767 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4600	Fax: (212) 319-8681
New York, NY 10153	E-mail: [email protected]
	Internet at: [http://www.wjc-artrecovery.org/].

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Treasury Department

Anyone from the state of Pennsylvania with reason to believe that assets deposited in Swiss banks between January 1, 1933, and May 9, 1945, belonging to them or a relative to which they are an heir are urged to contact this office. Also, persons with claims on insurance policies issued by a European insurance company prior to and during World War II should contact this office as well. Unfortunately, no address is currently available.

	Tel: 1-800-379-3999
	Internet at: [http://www.treasury.state.pa.us/DefaultASearch.html]

Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Inc. (a.k.a "Claims Conference") in the United States:
 

Mr. Gideon Taylor, Executive Director	Tel: (212) 696-4944
Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Inc.	Fax: (212) 679-2126
5 East 26th Street, Suite 906	E-mail: [email protected]
New York, NY 10010

Dormant Swiss Bank Accounts--for information on claims contact:

Ernst & Young, LLP	Tel: 1-800-662-7708
"Dormant Accounts"
P.O. Box 1880 Radio City Station
New York, NY 10101-1880

Dormant Accounts in Switzerland
Applicants must write a short letter asking for the dormant account questionaire. Please indicate in which language you prefer the questionaire to be written. Additional information on how to pursue a claim on a dormant account is Switzerland is available from the Swiss Embassy at (202) 745-7900 (phone) or (202) 387-2564 (fax).
If You wish to make a claim on a dormant account you believe to be held by a bank in Switzerland, pleas contact the following:

Swiss Banking Ombudsman	Tel: 011 41 213-1460
Schweizergasse 21	Fax: 011 41 1 210-3720
Postfach 8021
Zurich, Switzerland

Embassy of Switzerland	Tel: 1-800-662-7708
2900 Cathedral Avenue, N.W.	Tel: (202) 745-7900
Washington, D.C. 20008	Fax: (202) 387-2564
Internet at: [http://www.swissemb.org/].

(German) Article 2 Fund
This fund was created to compensate Jewish victims in the former East Germany after the reunification of Germany. This decision was formalized in Article 2 of the "Agreement on the Enactment and Interpretation of the Unification Treaty" of September 18, 1990, that unified Germany. Applications for compensation under the Article 2 Fund are still being accepted. Jewish victims of Nazi persecution are eligible if they: 1) were 6 months or longer in a concentration camp or 18 months or longer in a ghetto or 18 months or longer in hiding; and 2) received no more than DM 10,000 in previous compensation; and 3) currently live under difficult financial circumstances. If eligible, compensation is a lifetime pension in the amount of DM 500 per month. Interested parties should request an application from:
 

Article 2 Fund
Claims Conference
15 East 26th Street, Room 906
New York, NY 10010

(German) Hardship Fund
Applications for compensation under the Hardship Fund are still being accepted. Compensation is available to Jewish victims of Nazi persecution who have received no previous compensation and currently live under difficult financial conditions. Compensation under the Hardship Fund consists of a one-time payment of DM 5000. Contact the following:
 

Hardship Fund
Claims Conference
15 East 26th Street, Room 906
New York, NY 10010

Holocaust Art Restitution Project (HARP) at:

National Jewish Museum/HARP	Tel: (202) 857-6583
1640 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036-3278

Holocaust Claims Processing Office, New York State Banking Department at:

New York State Banking Department	Tel: 1-800-695-3318 (in the U.S.)
Holocaust Claims Processing Office	Fax: (212) 618-6908
2 Rector Street	E-mail address: [email protected]
New York, NY 10006	Internet at: [http://claims.state.ny.us].

Independent Committee of Eminent Persons (ICEP) a.k.a. Volcker Commission: The Independent Committee of Eminent Persons

20 rue de Candolle (3rd Floor)	E-mail address: [email protected]
1205 Geneva, Switzerland	Internet at: [www.icep-iaep.org]

International Commission on Holocaust Insurance Claims (ICHEIC). For World War II-era insurance claims, contact the address and telephone number listed below. Please note: Residents of California, Florida, New York, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania should contact their state insurance commissioners for further updates.
 

International Commission on Holocaust Insurance Claims	Tel: (202) 289-4100
1300 L Street, N.W., Suite 1150	Fax: (202) 289-4101
Washington, D.C. 20005	Internet at: [http://www.ICHEIC.org]

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) contact:

National Association of Insurance Commissioners	Tel: (202) 624-7790
444 North Capitol Street, Suite 701	Fax: (202) 624-8579
Washington, D.C. 20001-1512	E-mail address: [email protected]
	Internet at: [http://www.naic.org].

Norwegian Compensation Fund established by the Norwegian Ministry of Justice
for persons who suffered anti-Jewish measures in Norway during World War II. Deadline for applications is November 1, 1999. Application forms are available from:
 

Civil Department of the Ministry of Justice	Tel: +47 22 24 54 51
P.O. Box 8005 Dep 0030	Fax: +47 22 24 27 22
Olso, Norway	Internet at: [http://odin.dep.no/repub/97-98/stprp/82/engelsk/]

Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States

A non-partisan commission of 21 members established by Public Law 105-186, "to conduct a thorough study and develop a historical record of any assets obtained from Holocaust victims that came in possession or control of the United States government." The commission will submit reports and recommendations to the President of the United States for further administrative or legislative action. They can be contacted at:
 

Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States
Coordinator: Stu Loeser	Tel: (202) 435-8126
901 15th Street N.W., Suite 350	Fax: (202) 371-5678
Washington, D.C. 20005	Internet at [http://www.pcha.gov/]

Swiss Bankers Association (SBA)	Tel: +41 (0) 61 295-9393
Box 4182	Fax: +41 (0) 272-5382
4002 Basle, Switzerland	Internet at: [http://www.dormantaccounts.ch]

Swiss Bureau on Looted Art contact:

Dr. Andrea F.G. Rasch�r, J.D.	Tel. +41 31 322 03 25
Contact Bureau on Looted Art	Fax +41 31 322 92 73
Federal Office of Culture	E-mail: [email protected]
Hallwylstr. 15, CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland

Swiss Holocaust Task Force (officially disbanded on March 31, 1999)

EDA	Tel: +41 (0) 31 323-0486
3003 Berne, Switzerland	Fax: +41 (0) 31 323-0839
	Internet at [http://www.switzerland.taskforce.ch/]

Swiss Special Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust/Shoah

This fund was created in February 1997 by the Swiss Federal Council to assist needy victims in the United States, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. Note: new applications are no longer being accepted. On February 26, 1999, checks of $502 each were mailed to accepted applicants. The notification letters to those applicants who did not meet the eligibility criteria were also mailed on that date. Final judgement on disputed claims was made in August 1999.
 

Swiss Special Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust/Shoah
Waaghausgasse 18	Tel: ++41 (0) 31 325-1239
3003 Berne, Switzerland	Fax: ++41 (0) 31 323-2300

United Restitution Organization provides legal assistance for individuals in claims against Germany, for a nominal fee. Contact them at:

United Restitution Organization	Tel: (212) 921-3860
570 7th Avenue	Fax: (212) 575-1918
Suite 1106
New York, NY 10018

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum	Tel: (202) 488-0400
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20024	Internet at [http://www.ushmm.org/index.html]

The World Jewish Congress (WJC), American Section	Tel (212) 755-5770
501 Madison Avenue, 17th Floor	Fax: (212) 755-5883
New York, NY 10022-5602	Internet at: [http://www.virtual.co.il/orgs/orgs/wjc/]

The World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) is headquartered in Israel:

Mr. Eliyahu Spanic, Director General	Tel: (972-2) 561-2497/8
World Jewish Restitution Organization	Fax: (972-2) 561-2496
Radak 7, Jerusalem 92301, Israel	Internet at: [http://ja-wzo.org.il/wjro/whoweare.html]

*Prepared by Barbara A. Salazar, Information Research Specialist, Information Research Division.