The files were created during the compensation proceedings under the "Bndesentschädigungsgesdetz (BEG)" - mainly proceedings for compensation for "damage to body or health" - which Konrad Kittl conducted. The applicants had generally already successfully completed compensation proceedings in the 1950s, for example for "damage to liberty", in which the the various places of of imprisonment and the periods of imprisonment were documented. These files were consulted by Konrad Kittl and their contents recorded in file notes.
"These are examples of the "hundreds of thousands and millions of individual case files of people who described their fate of persecution as well as their family history in administrative proceedings with details of dates, places, names, perpetrators, other victims and more." (BMF monthly report, January 2021)
The files may contain the following documents:
- Sworn statements by the applicants describing their experiences during the persecution: Frank Fulep, Hyman Olstein
- File extracts with information from previous compensation proceedings: Chana Bajz, Michael Brysz
- Witness statements: für Chana Bajcz, für Sprinza Zwillich
- Possibly medical reports with further supplementary details
- Enquiries from the compensation offices or courts to clarify disputed information or facts and answers from the applicants
- Application forms for "Schaden an Körper oder Gesundheit"/"Schaden an Freiheit"/"Schaden am Leben (Miriam Fajwuszewitz)" der Antragsteller und "Globalanträge"
- Decisions of the authorities (on damage to liberty and damage to health)
- Request for information to the International Tracing Service (ITS) in Arolsen (now Arolsen Archives ) with detailed information on the applicant (periods/places of detention, residence after the war, time of emigration, etc.)
- Detention (Chaba Rosa), residence and health information from the International Tracing Services (ITS) in Arolsen
- Correspondence between lawyers
- Documents relating to court proceedings, e.g. judgements, appeals
Selected examples of these documents are also available for download in the applicant statements.
The Federal Ministry of Finance emphasizes: "The special feature of these files also lies in the fact that they were and are subjected to a state review and a detailed, comprehensible and well-founded decision-making process in extremely bureaucratic and therefore factually critical administrative and review procedures. In numerous application procedures, affidavits were obtained, cross-checked, expert opinions obtained and statements verified or "'falsified'".
These statements are illustrated by a large number of detailed inquiries in Kittl's files.