Statistics: Payments by the National Fund

*Figures have been rounded

[1] The National Fund makes a gesture payment to surviving victims of National Socialism. The amount of 5,087.10 euros (originally 70,000 Austrian schilling) is in recognition of the injustices they have suffered.

[2] In cases of special need and/or hardship it is possible to request repeated payments of the basic amount.

[3] On 20 September 2023, the Austrian Federal Government resolved to provide additional support to all victims of National Socialism from Austria still living on that date. Among other things, the decision provided for a one-time extraordinary gesture payment of 5,087.10 euros to all victims of National Socialism from Austria who meet the criteria of the National Fund.

[4] On the basis of the Art Restitution Act, the National Fund monetises ‘heirless’ publicly-owned art and uses the proceeds to benefit of victims of National Socialism. The National Fund uses the proceeds to provide benefits to natural persons who, as a result of National Socialist persecution directed against them, suffered damage to their health or loss of freedom, assets or income, provided that they are from Austria or were expelled from Austria or have a comparable connection to Austria.

[5] In 1998, the National Fund was entrusted with the distribution of the monies from the Nazi Persecutee Relief Fund. These were sourced from the funds which had become available when various states renounced their remaining stocks of plundered gold. The National Fund administered the portion of the money attributable to the Republic of Austria. These funds were used both to sponsor projects and to make payments to needy Holocaust survivors. The funds in the Looted Gold Fund were fully expended in 2010.

[6] In May 1999, the Board of Trustees of the National Fund set up the Hardship Compensation Fund. It was endowed with 508,710 euros (then 7 million Austrian schilling) from the National Fund's project sponsorship budget. The Hardship Compensation Fund enabled consideration to be given to applicants to the National Fund who had been victimised by the Nazi Regime but did not fully meet the requirements for a payment  and for whom the rejection of their application for a gesture payment from the National Fund would constitute a particular hardship.

Compensation for seized tenancy rights pursuant to Sec. 2b of the National Fund Law

From 2001, compensation was paid for tenancy rights, household effects and personal valuables seized as a result of Nazi persecution. The compensation took the form of a lump sum of 7,630 euros or 7,000 US dollars, plus an additional payment of 1,000 euros per person. Payments made to compensate seized tenancy rights have now been completed.