Federal Association for Information and Counseling for Nazi Persecutees

The Bundesverband Information & Beratung für NS-Verfolgte e.V. (Federal Association for Information and Counseling for Nazi Persecutees) is an independent German organization that represents the interests of all Nazi persecutees and their descendants. Founded in 1992 and based in Cologne, it grew out of a late-1980s initiative by survivor associations, Pax Christi, and Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste to create an independent information and counseling center, especially for the so-called "forgotten victims." The association advises those affected on compensation, recognition, and social benefits, and works through social projects to improve the living situation of survivors. Its work spans several areas. It provides counseling on national and international compensation questions, runs the Transferstelle in North Rhine-Westphalia (since 1997) for information and counseling, and organizes Erzähl- und Begegnungscafés (storytelling and meeting cafés) in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Recklinghausen. The Warmes Zuhause project, launched in 2009, offers meeting spaces for Russian-speaking survivors and has expanded to Essen, Düsseldorf, Ratingen, Dortmund, and Münster. An honorary visiting and accompaniment service supports elderly survivors in everyday life. The association also addresses descendants of persecutees, helping them engage with their family history and networking them with others. Through its Zeitzeugenprojekte (contemporary witness projects), the Bundesverband brings survivors and their descendants together with young people, providing a personal approach to the history of the Nazi era and contributing to prevention against group-based misanthropy. It has been a significant advocate in compensation policy: it helped establish a hardship fund in North Rhine-Westphalia, achieved compensation for victims of Nazi military justice in 1994, initiated a campaign for Holocaust survivors in Eastern and Central Europe in 1995, and contributed to negotiations leading to the establishment of the Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft (EVZ) in 2000. It remains the only German persecutee organization with a seat on the EVZ board of trustees. The association is a registered nonprofit (eingetragener Verein) and is not a commercial company; it operates as a civil-society organization funded through projects, public support, and partnerships. Its members include organizations such as Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste, the Vereinigung der Verfolgten des Naziregimes – Bund der Antifaschistinnen und Antifaschisten, the Lesben- und Schwulenverband in Deutschland, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft ehemals verfolgter Sozialdemokraten, the Lagergemeinschaft Ravensbrück, and the Kölnische Gesellschaft für christlich-jüdische Zusammenarbeit. Its chairs have included Peter Liebermann, Lothar Evers, Hans Frankenthal, Regina Suderland, Felix Kolmer, and, since 2022, Volker Kirchesch.

The Bundesverband Information & Beratung für NS-Verfolgte e.V. emerged from an initiative in the late 1980s to create an independent information and counseling center for Nazi persecutees, especially the so-called "forgotten victims." Representatives of various Nazi persecutee associations, Pax Christi, and Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste joined forces to support those affected with questions about compensation, recognition, and social benefits. From this first counseling center, the Bundesverband was founded in 1992 as a registered association. Its goal was to inform survivors of Nazi persecution about existing compensation possibilities and to accompany them through often complex restitution procedures. Since the 1990s, the association has successfully worked to improve the living situation of Nazi persecutees in Germany. A major milestone was the establishment of a hardship fund for Nazi persecutees in North Rhine-Westphalia, which supported people who had not received adequate compensation. In 1997, the Transferstelle für NS-Opfer in Nordrhein-Westfalen was established. In 1994, together with other organizations, the Bundesverband achieved compensation for surviving victims of Nazi military justice, who had previously received no compensation. In 1995, together with the American Jewish Committee and other persecutee associations, it successfully initiated a campaign for Holocaust survivors in Eastern and Central Europe. The Bundesverband contributed significantly to the negotiations that led to the establishment of the Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft (EVZ) in 2000. The EVZ foundation has since paid over 4.5 billion euros to more than 1.66 million surviving Nazi forced laborers; payments ended in 2006. To this day, the Bundesverband is the only German persecutee organization with a seat on the EVZ board of trustees. From 2001 to 2004, in a research network with the Federal Archives and the International Tracing Service, the Bundesverband obtained proof of forced labor for more than 40,000 former forced laborers, thereby helping them receive the compensation they were due. From 2005 to 2007, it conducted a model project in North Rhine-Westphalia titled "Anpassung der Versorgungssysteme der Altenhilfe an die Erfordernisse älterer NS-Verfolgter," sensitizing staff and providers of elderly care to the special needs of survivors. Since 1997, the association has offered the Transferstelle to improve information and counseling for Nazi persecutees and their descendants in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is financed by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and serves as the contact point for all Nazi persecutees and their descendants in the state regarding compensation and elderly care questions. Since March 2005, the Bundesverband has organized Erzähl- und Begegnungscafés at various locations for survivors and their descendants. In these cafés, those affected can exchange in a protected setting with support from staff and volunteers. Several times a year, the cafés become Erzählcafés where a survivor reports on their persecution history. Due to the advanced age of survivors, descendants increasingly report on their families' persecution history and continuities of discrimination and exclusion. Currently, the cafés are offered in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Recklinghausen. In 2009, the Bundesverband launched the Warmes Zuhause project. Initially, Russian-speaking survivors of Nazi persecution in the Cologne area met privately for exchange. Since early 2016, the association has expanded the project to other cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Essen, Düsseldorf, Ratingen, Dortmund, and Münster. The honorary visiting and accompaniment service is a social support project for survivors of Nazi persecution. Volunteers regularly visit elderly Nazi persecutees, provide social companionship, and support them in everyday life. The project aims to counteract social isolation, promote participation in social life, and enable those affected to live as long as possible in their familiar environment. The Bundesverband also directs part of its work at children, grandchildren, and other descendants of Nazi persecutees. The goal is to support descendants in dealing with their family history, promote networking with other affected persons, and include their perspectives in historical-political education projects and remembrance culture. The association advises descendants on national and international compensation questions. Its members include many interested individuals as well as organizations such as Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste, the Vereinigung der Verfolgten des Naziregimes – Bund der Antifaschistinnen und Antifaschisten, the Lesben- und Schwulenverband in Deutschland, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft ehemals verfolgter Sozialdemokraten, the Lagergemeinschaft Ravensbrück, and the Kölnische Gesellschaft für christlich-jüdische Zusammenarbeit. The chairs of the association have been: Peter Liebermann (1992–1994), Lothar Evers (1994–1997), Hans Frankenthal (1997–1999), Regina Suderland (2000–2012), Felix Kolmer (2012–2021), and Volker Kirchesch (since 2022).

• 2016

  Expansion of Warmes Zuhause to additional cities in North Rhine-Westphalia.

• 2009

  Launch of the Warmes Zuhause project.

• 2005

  Start of Erzähl- und Begegnungscafés in March; model project on adapting elderly care to the needs of older Nazi persecutees runs until 2007.

• 2001

  Start of a research network with the Federal Archives and International Tracing Service; by 2004, proof of forced labor obtained for over 40,000 former forced laborers.

• 2000

  Contributed to negotiations leading to the establishment of the Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft (EVZ).

• 1997

  Establishment of the Transferstelle für NS-Opfer in Nordrhein-Westfalen.

• 1995

  Initiated a campaign for Holocaust survivors in Eastern and Central Europe together with the American Jewish Committee and other associations.

• 1994

  Together with other organizations, achieved compensation for surviving victims of Nazi military justice.

• 1992

  Founding of the Bundesverband Information & Beratung für NS-Verfolgte e.V. by Nazi persecutee associations and committed individuals.

Independent civil-society organization advocating for Nazi persecutees and their descendants, providing compensation counseling and social support.

• Transferstelle für NS-Opfer in Nordrhein-Westfalen

  Information and counseling service for Nazi persecutees and their descendants in North Rhine-Westphalia, financed by the state.

• Erzähl- und Begegnungscafés

  Meeting places for survivors and descendants in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Recklinghausen, with regular storytelling sessions.

• Warmes Zuhause

  Meeting project initially for Russian-speaking survivors, expanded to Essen, Düsseldorf, Ratingen, Dortmund, and Münster.

• Ehrenamtlicher Besuchs- und Begleitdienst

  Volunteers regularly visit elderly Nazi persecutees to provide companionship and everyday support.

• Zeitzeugenprojekte

  Projects bringing survivors and descendants together with young people for personal exchange about Nazi history.

1. 1HOMEnsberatung.de
2. 2Verbandsgeschichtensberatung.de
3. 3ÜBER UNSnsberatung.de
4. 4Partner:innennsberatung.de
5. 5Bundesverband Information & Beratung für NS-Verfolgtewikidata.org
6. 6Bundesverband Information und Beratung für NS-Verfolgtede.wikipedia.org