Aid for Religious Community

Nine Million Euros from Regional Funds

Der Standard (07/19/03)

Part V


Vienna - The Israelitische Kultusgemeinde (english: Israelite Religious Community (IKG)) will immediately be receiving 9 million Euros to be taken from Regional funds endowed with 18.2 million Euros for restitution of the Community’s assets accounted for at the time it was confiscated or destroyed during the NS period. It is possible that this will be done by treating the regional funding separately from that of legal peace which is established only when the pending class action suits in the U.S. filed against Austria have been suspended.

The negotiators, Minister of Education Elisabeth Gehrer, Governor Waltraud Klasnic as well as IKG Representative Ariel Muzicant and Chief Rabbi Paul Chaim Eisenberg refrained from assessing the results as a "breakthrough." It is, however, "a step forward."