EVZ Foundation

Ten facts

Ten Facts

Das historische Foto zeigt eine Gruppe von Zwangsarbeitern, die einen Wagen schieben.

Forced Labor during National Socialism

More than 26 million people were forced to perform forced labor in the German Reich or the occupied territories between 1939 and 1945. Forced labor was not a marginal phenomenon, but was present in virtually all areas of life and the economy.

Remembering NS forced labor Forced Labor during National Socialism
Das historische Foto zeigt einen großen Konferenztisch mit Menschen im Anzug.

The Establishment of the EVZ Foundation

Following international negotiations, the EVZ Foundation was established in 2000 as a foundation under public law with the support of all parliamentary groups in the German Bundestag.

History of the EVZ Foundation The Establishment of the EVZ Foundation
Zwei Menschen sitzen auf einem Sofa und sind sich liebevoll zugewandt.

The EVZ Foundation’s Mission

In the act “Establishing the Foundation ‘Remembrance, Responsibility, and the Future’,” the German Bundestag acknowledges its political and moral responsibility toward the victims of National Socialism, with the clear mandate to keep the memory of the NS-injustices alive for future generations.

Law on the Creation of the EVZ Foundation The EVZ Foundation’s Mission
Signing of the intergovernmental agreement

The EVZ Foundation's Assets

The Foundation's assets, totaling 10.1 billion DM (approx. 5.2 billion euros), were provided in equal parts by the Federal Government and the foundation initiative of the German industry. In total, approximately 6,500 companies and individuals participated in the Foundation Initiative.

The Donators The EVZ Foundation's Assets

The Payments

Between 2001 and 2007, more than 1.66 million former forced laborers in 98 countries received a total of 4.4 billion euros in financial compensation. For many, the belated recognition of their suffering was at least as important as the payment itself.

About the Payment Process The Payments
Drei junge Menschen umarmen sich und schauen dabei auf den Boden.

The Grant Fund

700 million DM (approx. 357 million euros) were set aside for the “Remembrance and Future” fund to ensure the foundation’s mission could be sustained indefinitely. To this day, the EVZ Foundation uses the income from these funds to support projects in the fields of humanitarian aid, international understanding, remembrance culture, youth exchanges, and human rights.

About the funding programs The Grant Fund

The Survivors

The EVZ Foundation supports former forced laborers and others affected by National Socialist injustices not only financially, but also by creating spaces for dialogue, sharing experiences, and raising awareness of their stories. Approximately 40 percent of the foundation’s funding goes to organizations across Europe that care for elderly Holocaust survivors and help ensure they can live out their later years with dignity.

Commitment to Holocaust Survivors The Survivors
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Present and the Future

Anti-Semitism, Anti-Gypsyism, racism, war, and exclusion—the issues addressed by the EVZ Foundation are not a thing of the past; they affect our present. Engaging with history helps us to understand these challenges today and to confront them in the future.

The EVZ Foundation’s Themes Present and the Future
Das Foto zeigt eine Szene aus der Bundestour des "In Echt"-Projekts. Zu sehen sind mehrere Menschen, die VR-Brillen tragen.

Impact

The EVZ Foundation serves as an international funding organization dedicated to remembrance culture and human rights. Since its founding through 2024, it has supported over 6,000 projects with more than 313 million euros and in collaboration with over 2,500 partner organizations.

Go to the Project Finder Impact
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What remains?

The work of the EVZ Foundation shows that responsibility does not end with a chapter in history, but is reflected in what we do every day. After 25 years of commitment, there is still NO TIME TO FORGET.

On the 25th anniversary of the EVZ Foundation What remains?