Higher compensation for forced relocated: 7,500 euros from July 2025!

Higher compensation for forced relocated: 7,500 euros from July 2025!

On July 2, 2025, a decisive step in the processing of the GDR history was taken: those affected by compulsory exposures on the former inner German border are entitled to a one-time payment of 7,500 euros. This was made possible by a change in the law that the Bundestag unanimously decided on January 30th. The new regulations for improving rehabilitation law matters come into force on July 1, 2025. State Secretary Burkhard Bley emphasized that this step is an important signal for the victims of the SED regime, who have suffered serious injustice for decades.

However, this decision was by no means careless. The compulsory exposures, which took place especially in the 1950s, affected more than 12,000 people. Many families were torn from their home and often had to reorganize their lives within a few hours. A particularly impressive example is Inge Jakobs, who was forced to change with her family from Böckwitz and is still alive of the shocking events at the breakfast table. Her family was sent into the unknown under the pretext of an "extremely reactionary attitude". After a long and arduous path through various camps, she lives in Zicherie, Lower Saxony, and continues the legacy of her past in a museum association.

The way to compensation

The one -off payment can be requested from July 2025 and is part of comprehensive measures that also provide for increasing victim pensions and maintaining the annual adjustment. The persecution period for the applications was shortened to two years, which should simplify access for many affected people. The recognition of health damage caused by the forced relocation is also made easier. These steps are particularly important for those who are still living in Westmecklenburg, many of whom are still suffering from the consequences of the forced exposures.

The introduction of a nationwide hardship fund represents an additional help for those affected in special emergencies. Here you can receive support in the application, which the current need for advice in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania proves by 689 supervised people. The topic remains branded because new people still appear today.

reactions and outlook

The SED victim representative Evelyn Zupke has recognized the change in the law as an important signal for the recognition of the injustices suffered. In times when more and more contemporary witnesses fall silent, the need for adequate compensation and recognition for those affected are becoming increasingly clear. It remains to be seen how the new regulations are accepted in practice and whether they bring justice closer to justice to the many victims, such as Marie-Luise Busse, who lost their home during their childhood

Finally, the recent legal regulation shows that there is a constant endeavor to process the dark past of the GDR and finally give the victims of forced relocation the recognition that they deserve. The initiative should not only support those affected, but also teach future generations what it means to lose your own home without warning.