Less Than Slaves: Jewish Forced Labor and the Quest for Compensation

As a United States war crimes investigator during World War II, BenhaminB. Ferencz participated in the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. He returnedto Germany after the war to help bring perpetrators of war crimes to justice andremained to direct restitution programs for Nazi victims. In Less Than Slaves, Ferencz describes the painstaking efforts that were made to pe

As a United States war crimes investigator during World War II, BenhaminB. Ferencz participated in the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. He returnedto Germany after the war to help bring perpetrators of war crimes to justice andremained to direct restitution programs for Nazi victims. In Less Than Slaves, Ferencz describes the painstaking efforts that were made to persuade Germanindustrial firms such as I. G. Farben, Krupp, AEG, Rheinmetall, and Daimler-Benz tocompensate camp inmates who were exploited as forced laborers. The meager outcome ofthese efforts emerges from searing pages that detail the difficulties confronted byFerencz and his dedicated colleagues. This engrossing narrative is a vital resourcefor all who are concerned with the moral, legal, and practical implications of therecent significant increase in the number of compensation claims by victims ofpersecution. First published in 1979, Ferencz's penetrating firsthand accountreturns to print with the author's evaluation of its historical significance andcurrent relevance.