As the Pan-Macedonian Union of Germany, we welcome the fact that the federal government has officially recognised the genocide during the colonial period in Namibia against the Herero and Nama. The atrocities of 1904-1908 contributed to the deaths of more than 70,000 people, whilst around 70 percent of the Herero and 50 percent of the Nama died of thirst or in concentration camps.

This symbolic move lead to real reconciliation, recognising the suffering caused to the victims and asking for forgiveness from the victims’ descendants. It is also commendable that Germany is supporting the state in reconstruction and development with an extensive €1.1 billion program.

Given this, we would like to draw attention to the issue of compensation for Greece vis-a-vis the Federal Republic of Germany. Exactly 80 years have passed since Hitler’s Germany invaded Greece on 6 April, 1941. Many massacres were committed in Greece until 1944. Tens of thousands of Greek civilians were killed. In total, the Wehrmacht destroyed about 1,700 Greek villages during the occupation. In this historic year, the issue of redress is as relevant as ever.

Places that symbolize the Nazi orthodoxy today are: Distomo, Giannitsa, Viannos, Kontomari, Alikianos, Anogia, Chortiatis, Kommeno, Kleisoura, Mesovouni, Kerdyllia, Paramythia and Ligiades. In terms of the number of victims, the worst massacre took place in Kalavrita on 13 December 1943. It is one of the most serious crimes against the civilian population in occupied Europe.

The official list of thefts, looting and arbitrariness of the Germans during the occupation, published by the Greek state itself in 1946, includes 8,500 movable ancient objects that had been stolen from Greece. These valuable works have not returned and are displayed in some museums, auctions or private collections. This is also a very dark chapter of the period.

A Greek parliamentary committee has estimated the amount of war debts incurred by Germany at at least 289 billion euros. The settlement of this debt would close this tragic chapter and would contribute positively to the further Greek-German relations.

Greece has repeatedly called on Germany to negotiate on the issue of compensation, but this demand is constantly rejected by the German front.

While the German Federal Government categorically rejects the claim for compensation, the Bundestag Scientific Service does not see it that way in an opinion published in 2019. GRegarding the Federal Government’s argument that the 1990 2 + 4 Treaty regulated all “comprehensive and comprehensive” redress issues, the Scientific Service writes: “Compensation is not even mentioned in the contract. Greece, as a third country that did not participate in the treaty, should have explicitly agreed with the resulting disadvantages,” the report states.

In other words, without Greece’s consent, the parties to the 2 + 4 Agreement could not have agreed that Greece’s claims against Germany would be excluded upon the conclusion of these agreements. The German government’s view that the issue of Greek reparations has been resolved by this treaty is not as legitimate as it often appears.

In the context of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Greece supported the so-called Charter of Paris. Moreover, the waiver of compensation is not explicitly mentioned in the text of the Treaty, so as to at least dispute that Greece no longer has claims under the Charter of Paris.

The claim of 289 billion euros ($455 million AUD) concerns the claims of the state of Greece vis-a-vis Germany. This includes claims for compensation in general for Germany’s war crimes in Greece during World War II and the compulsory loan that Greece undertook to pay to the Nazis under pressure between 1942 and 1944. The amount: 476 million Reichsmark. Under Hitler, the first two installments of the loan were repaid. Germany has not yet paid this debt. In this context, the Greek Ministry of Justice has the option of freezing German property in Greece, such as the Goethe Institute. On the other hand, the compensations concern the claims of the survivors and the descendants of the Nazi victims.

The London Debt Agreement of 1953 states that “consideration of the claims of the states arising from the Second World War will be postponed until the issue of reparations is finally resolved.” In 1953, the parties decided not to make claims until these questions were clarified in a subsequent peace treaty. Therefore, the London Debt Agreement does not exclude possible claims on the part of Greece.

In the agreement reached in 1960, Germany agreed to pay Greece 115 million German Reichsmark. However, this agreement does not necessarily mean that Greece is no longer entitled to claim compensation for the compulsory loan. The official name “Agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Kingdom of Greece on benefits for Greek citizens affected by Nazi persecution” already shows that the agreement concerns claims of Greek citizens, and not those of the Greek state.

Consequently, we are of the opinion that the issue of compensation remains open from the Greek side. Unlike Poland, Greece has never waived its claims and has repeatedly backed its claims.

The Greens and die Linke are critical of the German government’s stance. In the Bundestag debate on the 80th anniversary of the attack in Greece, both parliamentary groups in the presence of the Greek ambassador called for a change of course.

In view of the upcoming federal elections, the Greek community in Germany will take the position of the federal government on this issue seriously. We hope that the German government will reconsider its position and redress a historic injustice.

Best wishes,
Pan-Macedonian Union of Germany Chairman
Ioannis Gega

*Letter has been abridged