In 1945 the “Potsdam Agreement” created the reparation formula for victims of National Socialism following the end of World War II.

In 1946 the United States and 17 allied countries signed the “Paris Agreement” to implement the reparation process. In this agreement the 4 World War II allies required that Germany return seized properties or provide payment for the properties and implement programs for restitution.

That countries chose very different paths to help people who had claims to make can be seen in the long fought and public battles with Swiss banks, museums, insurance companies and private German industries.

 In 1948 the American President, Harry Truman established the “War Reparations Commission” which evolved into the “United States Foreign Claims Commission” (USFCC) and is under the jurisdiction of the United States Treasury and accountable to the United States Senate.

This agency created a template of negotiating  with formerly hostile, and in some cases still hostile, governments in representing the  interests of American nationals who suffered property losses during times of persecution and war. Property settlements fall under the general heading of reparations but are considered  separately from reparations for loss of life, health, profession, bank accounts etc.

Over the years the USFCC  has adjudicated 700,000 property claims for Americans and negotiated settlements with 44 countries including China, Cuba, Poland , Japan, Iran and  Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Total awards from these adjudicated claims are said to be about 3 billion dollars under the USFCC. Property claims from the current conflict in Iraq are now with the United Nations under its 1991 United Nations Claims Commission.  

The Conference on Jewish Materials Claims (JCC) was created in 1951 when West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer met secretly with Israeli representatives to negotiate Germany’s responsibility for its attempt to annihilate European Jewry.

The 1952 agreement signed between the two countries, after the Israeli government debated whether Holocaust reparations would consitute the acceptance of "blood money", called for Germany to pay 715 million dollars in goods and services to the young Israeli State. And 110 million dollars to rebuild European Jewish communities. Included was the obligation to compensate individuals for loss of life, liberty, possessions, health and property.