Czech Republic, Germany Reach Accord on Nazi Labor PaymentA long-awaited agreement on compensating 67,000 Czech Nazi-era slave and forced laborers has been reached between the Czech Republic and Germany, local media reported Thursday.Under the accord, a total of 423 million marks (282 million U.S. dollars) will be paid to surviving slave and forced laborers in the Czech Republic. Up to 15,000 marks (10,000 dollars) would be paid to a slave laborer in Nazi concentration camps, while a forced laborer is entitled to a maximum payment of 5,000 marks (3,333 dollars). The fund will come from a compensation foundation set up by the German business and government. The Czech Republic, Poland, Russia and Ukraine, all of which have surviving forced laborers, will sign an official declaration on the compensation to forced laborers with Germany in Berlin next Monday, it is reported. During World War II, between 10 million and 14 million people of these countries were forced to work for Nazi Germany, most of whom were persecuted to death. At present, about 1.25 million people are believed to be eligible for compensation in Central and Eastern Europe. In late 1999, the German government and business agreed to pay 10 billion marks (6.67 billion dollars) as compensation to those victims. |
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