On September 10, 1952, historical agreements were signed in Luxembourg between the government of Israel, the Conference on Jewish Materials Claims Against Germany, and the government of West Germany regarding the provision of reparations and compensations.
To mark the 70th anniversary of the signing, the Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center at Tel Aviv University, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and Yad Vashem are organizing a conference in Tel Aviv in Nov. 2022
Apply by 31 Oct 2021
1. CALL FOR PAPERS
On September 10, 1952, historical agreements were signed in Luxembourg between the government of Israel, the Conference on Jewish Materials Claims Against Germany, and the government of West Germany regarding the provision of reparations and compensations. Both the government of Israel and the Claims Conference emphasized that the agreements were meant to provide compensation for material claims alone, and not for the murder of six million Jews for which no compensation was possible. The agreement signed by the government of Israel established that West Germany would pay Israel the sum of three billion marks (round about 715.000.000,00 dollar) over the course of 12-14 years, mostly in the form of various goods and means of production. The agreement signed by the Claims Conference included two protocols: one concerned Germany’s promise to enact legislation that would directly compensate the victims of persecution, and the second concerned Germany’s agreement to transfer 450.000.000,00 marks (round about 110.000.000,00 dollar) to provide assistance and rehabilitation to Nazi victims around the world. The agreements have had a considerable impact on Israel’s economy and society. At the same time, it has been a cornerstone in prolonged campaigns for compensations and restitutions in which the Claims Conference has played a crucial role.
To mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Luxembourg Agreement, the Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center at Tel Aviv University, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and Yad Vashem are organizing an international conference to be held at Tel Aviv University on November 14 to 16, 2022, in cooperation with a number of additional institutions.
The aim of the conference is to consider the development and impact of the Reparations Agreement from a broad range of perspectives – historical, diplomatic, legal, economic, social, etc. – and provide a platform for presenting new research in the field and promoting fruitful academic discussion. The academic committee will be pleased to receive proposals concerning the Luxembourg Agreement as well as previous and subsequent campaigns for reparations, compensation and restitution of property related to the Holocaust and will review any proposal that directly or tangentially touches on the following fields:
– Early compensation claims before Luxembourg Agreements
– Issues relating to the Luxembourg Agreements
– The impact of the agreements on Israeli law, society and economy
– The impact of the compensation on Germany (including politics, society, Holocaust awareness, etc.)
– The impact of the agreements on Jewish-German relations or Israel-German relations
– Legislations and litigation re indemnification in Germany, Israel, and the public and political criticism and debates over the years
– Evaluation of the compensation to individuals – how it affected the individuals (psychologically, economically, relationship with Germany, etc.); how the process worked, adjudication of claims
– The GDR and its position and actions regarding compensation for Holocaust survivors
– Negotiations between the German government and the Claims Conference during the last seven decades
– The negotiation with Austria regarding personal compensation or the restitution of Jewish property
– The claim for property and assets (including books, archives and art) throughout Europe
– Issues relating to agreements with industrial companies
– Restitution lawsuits brought against Swiss banks and German corporations and museums
All lectures will be delivered in English, and it is planned to subsequently publish a volume of the conference proceedings in English. The conference will be recorded and the full lectures will be made available online by Tel Aviv University and/or Claims Conference and/or Yad Vashem, for public access following the event. Scholars who wish to present twenty-minute papers are invited to submit proposals to the steering committee (see address below) by October 31, 2021.
The steering committee will consider the submitted proposals and will inform the candidates of its decision by the end of November 2021.
Proposals should be written in English and include:
– Full name and academic title
– Academic affiliation
– Contact details
– Curriculum Vitae
– Title and abstract of proposed lecture
Please send your submissions electronically to Adi Moskovitz, Conference and Publications Coordinator, the Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center: adip@tauex.tau.ac.il
Academic Steering Committee:
Prof. Dan Michman, Dr. Iael Nidam-Orvieto, Prof. Havi Dreifuss, Prof. Roni Stauber, Prof. Jose Brunner, Prof. Leora Bilsky, Dr. Wesley Fisher, Prof. Constantin Goschler, Prof. Stephan Lehnstaedt, and Prof. Michael Bazyler. In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this Conference.
2. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
On September 10, 1952, historical agreements were signed in Luxembourg between the government of Israel, the Conference on Jewish Materials Claims Against Germany, and the government of West Germany regarding the provision of reparations and compensations. To mark the event and within the framework of an international conference on the topic, “70 Years of Holocaust Compensation and Restitution”, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany will provide five fellowships of 5.000 dollar each to outstanding doctoral and post-doctoral scholars whose research deals with topics relating to the agreement and its various past and present implications, such as social, diplomatic, legal, and economic aspects. The conference will be organized jointly by the Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center at Tel Aviv University, the Claims Conference, and Yad Vashem, in cooperation with a number of additional institutions, and will be held at Tel Aviv University on November 14-16, 2022.
Projects should involve approximately a one-year study, including presentation of a paper at the conference, and submission of an article in English based upon the research. In addition, Fellows will be invited to take part in a research group that will hold monthly online seminars organized by the Leo Baeck Institute, the Jacob Robinson Institute for the History of Individual and Collective Rights, and the Minerva Center for Human Rights as well as any related academic events on the topic.
The academic committee will be pleased to receive proposals concerning the Luxembourg Agreement as well as previous and subsequent campaigns for compensation and restitution of property related to the Holocaust and will review any proposal that directly or tangentially touches on the following fields:
– Early compensation claims before Luxembourg Agreements
– Issues relating to the Luxembourg Agreements
– The impact of the agreements on Israeli law, society and economy
– The impact of the compensation on Germany (including politics, society, Holocaust awareness etc.)
– The impact of the agreements on Jewish-German relations or Israel-German relations
– Legislations and litigation re indemnification in Germany, Israel, and the public and political criticism and debates over the years
– Evaluation of the compensation to individuals – how it affected the individuals (psychologically, economically, relationship with Germany, etc.); how the process worked, adjudication of claims
– The GDR and its position and actions regarding compensation for Holocaust survivors
– Negotiations between the German government and the Claims Conference during the last seven decades
– The negotiation with Austria regarding personal compensation or the restitution of Jewish property
– The claim for property and assets (including books, archives and art) throughout Europe
– Issues relating to agreements with industrial companies
– Restitution lawsuits brought against Swiss banks and German corporations and museums
The Academic Steering Committee will select a total of five doctoral and post-doctoral scholars to receive a 5.000 dollar fellowship funded by the Claims Conference, to be paid directly to the recipients in two installments: 2.500,00 dollar upon being selected and another 2.500,00 dollar upon submission to the Diaspora Research Center of the paper based upon their research. In the event that a volume of proceedings will be prepared after the conference, the committee will consider including these papers in the volume; otherwise, the recipients will be encouraged to publish their papers in other publications.
The selected scholars will be expected to physically attend the Conference to be held in November 2022 at Tel Aviv University (unless it will be held virtually). They will be invited to deliver a 20-minute lecture and present their research as well as to submit an article for inclusion in the proceedings volume. Transportation and accommodation will be covered in addition to the fellowship.
Doctoral students and post-doctoral candidates who have received their Ph.D. in the last five years and who have not yet entered a tenure-track position at a university are eligible to apply and are invited to submit proposals to the steering committee (see address below) by October 31, 2021.
Proposals should be written in English and include:
– Full name and academic title
– Academic affiliation
– Contact details
– Application form
– Curriculum Vitae
– Title and abstract of proposed lecture
– A letter of recommendation from a supervisor (for doctoral students) or a distinguished scholar in the field (for post-doctoral candidates) who knows and recommends the applicant and his/her research proposal.
The steering committee will consider the submitted proposals and will inform the candidates of its decision by the end of November 2021.
Please send your submissions electronically to Adi Moskovitz,
Conference and Publications Coordinator, the Goldstein-Goren
Diaspora Research Center: adip@tauex.tau.ac.il
Academic Steering Committee:
Prof. Dan Michman, Dr. Iael Nidam-Orvieto, Prof. Havi Dreifuss, Prof. Roni Stauber, Prof. Jose Brunner, Prof. Leora Bilsky, Dr. Wesley Fisher, Prof. Constantin Goschler, Prof. Stephan Lehnstaedt, and Prof. Michael Bazyler
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this Conference.