National Fund to Receive New Tasks and Structures for the Future

Parliament building with light installation by artist Victoria Coeln to mark the signing of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights United Nations 75 years ago. Date of photo: 12 November 2023
Nationalfonds

The Austrian National Council has unanimously adopted an amendment to the National Fund Law and the Jewish Cemeteries Fund Law, endowing the National Fund with additional tasks such as the administration of subsidies for people on memorial service (Gedenkdienst) and the support of international exchange programmes for young people. Another significant addition will see the realisation of a memorial for Roma and Sinti who perished under the Nazi regime and the payment of a portion of the grave fees for Roma and Sinti Holocaust survivors. In future, the Fund’s work to collect and document the life stories of victims of National Socialism will be extended to include their families and descendants. The projects and activities of the National Fund will continue to take all victim groups into account, as they have done previously.

The unanimously adopted amendment to the Jewish Cemeteries Fund Law makes way for the work to restore the 65 Jewish cemeteries in Austria to be continued for a further 20 years at an accelerated pace.

The National Fund will also provide a platform and hold an annual conference in order to deepen working relationships and facilitate the exchange of information with national and international organisations and institutions involved in coming to terms with the Nazi period and related prevention work.

Finally, the amendment provides for an adaptation to the organisational structure of the National Fund: four additional members will join the Fund’s Committee to further increase its scientific expertise. In addition, the Main Committee of the National Council will be involved in the appointment of a new two-member Managing Board.

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