Belgium’s Jewish community is expected to receive $170 Million in restitutions for what happened to them during World War II. However, Belgium’s government will not be the only ones footing this bill. Belgium’s government will pay $69.8 million; the banks in Belgium will pay $85 million, with the insurance companies picking up the rest of this hefty bill.
During the 1930s before World War II started, at least 50,000 Jews lived in the country. Like other Jews across Europe, those that lived in Belgium faced persecution. During the Holocaust, half of them had died.
However, not all of it will be paid to individual claims. Of the $170 million going forth towards restitution, individuals will be receiving $54 million. Everything else will be going to a trust fund that is set up to preserve the memory of the horrors and atrocities that have been inflicted upon the Jews during the Holocaust in World War II.
“So this money will be for the Jewish community and will help us bring people to Auschwitz, pay for education etc. This is very, very important to us,” said Eli Ringer, who is a co-chairman of the committee that deals with such restitutions.
Back in January of 2008, a book was published in France from the diary of Helene Berr. Berr is considered the French version of Anne Frank. In her diary, Berr explained what it was like being a college student during the Nazi occupation of France.
Recently, Jews that were expelled from Poland back in 1968 when it was under Communist rule are set to have their citizenship restored.
In Austria, the 70th anniversary of Anschluss has passed by in the recent days. The day is considered a dark day for those living in Austria. This was prelude to the persecution of Jews in the country. On that day, Hitler’s army had marched into Austria.
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