Holocaust-era insurance programs

Assicurazioni Generali has expressed profound sympathy for the immeasurable suffering endured by its former policyholders, their families who were victims of Nazi persecution. Generali has long been engaged in a voluntary worldwide effort to respond to inquiries and make payments on World War II-era policies to Holocaust victims and their family members. This substantial effort is ongoing to this day.

In 1997, Generali established its Policy Information Center at its Trieste headquarters, to provide information on policies issued by former Generali branches in Central and Eastern Europe where insureds or beneficiaries may have perished in the Holocaust. Generali branches in these regions were nationalized by the Communist governments that came into power immediately after WWII, and consequently Generali lost ownership of the assets held in these countries as reserves for payment of the policies (the insureds' policies themselves also were nationalized). Generali decided for humanitarian reasons to make payments on these policies to insureds and heirs, using the information of the Policy Information Center (now included in the Global Life Policy Management Unit).

Also in 1997, Generali committed to fund an independent trust (The Generali Fund in Memory of the Generali Insured in East and Central Europe Who Perished in the Holocaust), in Jerusalem, which made voluntary payments in respect of WWII-era policies to Holocaust victims and their heirs. The trust was chaired by two former members of the Israeli judiciary and operated under standards established and applied by the Knesset (Parliament) of Israel. The trust ceased its activities in December 2008

In 1998, Generali was a founding member of the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC – www.icheic.org ), which was established to identify and pay claims to policyholders and their heirs. ICHEIC was chaired by former US Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger and it included as members or observers the US Government, the State of Israel, the World Jewish Congress, the World Jewish Restitution Organization, the US National Association of Insurance Commissioners, European restitution organizations, and representatives of major European insurance companies including Generali.

Generali’s Policy Information Center played a vital role in the search and resolution of tens of thousands of enquiries and claims.

In 2007, Generali voluntarily entered into a class action settlement approved by the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, after the lower court had already dismissed all of the cases and claims against it. According to its terms, Generali agreed to process new inquiries and claims, with Court supervision, under ICHEIC's standards. By December 2010, Generali had processed all the claims and inquiries submitted under the settlement, which is now closed.

In 2008, at the request of the US Congress, Generali and other insurers committed to continue in the future to accept and process claims and inquiries, using these same standards. This commitment is open-ended - there is no deadline to approach Generali.

Anyone wishing to submit an inquiry or claim application to Generali may download and complete the form for which a link is provided below. Completed forms, enclosing copies of any relevant documents you may have, should be sent to the following address by postal mail or e-mail:
 

Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.

Global Life Policy Management Unit

Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi 2

34136 Trieste – Italy

pic@generali.com

Generali will process your inquiry or application and will subsequently write to you with the result of our examination. Please bear in mind that the following inquires cannot be accepted:

• If the ancestor for whom the application is filed was not a victim of the Holocaust;

• If you believe that the (potential) policy was purchased in Germany, Belgium or The Netherlands, which have established separate national funds addressing Holocaust-related compensation claims for insurance policies issued there. In this case comprehensive information can be found online at the following websites: for Germany www.en.gdv.de , for Belgium www.combuysse.fgov.be, for The Netherlands www.stichting-sjoa.nl

• If seeking humanitarian assistance. Payments are made only with respect to unpaid insurance policies issued by Assicurazioni Generali and/or its former affiliated companies. Those seeking humanitarian assistance for Holocaust survivors should contact the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), www.claimscon.org

Any questions or other inquiries about any of the foregoing should be directed to the Global Life Policy Management Unit at the address provided above.