The central task of the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” was to disburse payments to former forced labourers and other victims of National Socialist injustice. A total of EUR 4.37 billion was paid out to more than 1.66 million people in almost 100 countries.

These payments were concluded on 12 June 2007 at an official ceremony by German President Horst Köhler in the presence of the Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In addition to this the Foundation has promoted humanitarian programmes and is continuing to do so via its partner organisations.

Not least as a consequence of the disbursement procedure, the perception of the injustice of forced labour during National Socialism has changed and intensified. Furthermore, the applications and other communications contributed many new facts about this period. The Foundation sees one of its central tasks to lie in historical work addressing forced labour during National Socialism.