Rehabilitierung von SED-Opfern

If you were imprisoned during the SED dictatorship, you can be rehabilitated.

The rehabilitation of SED victims and thus the rectification of SED injustice is possible under the Criminal Rehabilitation Act, the Professional Rehabilitation Act and the Administrative Rehabilitation Act.

Rehabilitation under the Criminal Rehabilitation Act:

Under the Criminal Rehabilitation Act, victims of decisions made by GDR courts in violation of the rule of law can apply to the competent Thuringian regional courts for criminal rehabilitation in a two-stage procedure and, once rehabilitation has taken place, can assert claims in the second stage in the form of capital compensation of 306.78 euros for each month of imprisonment rehabilitated or part thereof, as well as reimbursement of costs, necessary expenses of the previous criminal proceedings and fines paid.

In the case of unjust deprivation of liberty contrary to the rule of law and lasting at least 90 days in total, the special allowance for victims of imprisonment ("victim's pension") amounting to a maximum of 330.00 euros per month can be applied for if the entitled person is particularly affected in their economic situation.

The same applies if a certificate in accordance with the Prisoner Assistance Act is submitted and the applicant lives in Thuringia.

Affected persons who have suffered damage to their health as a result of being deprived of their liberty in violation of the rule of law will, upon application, receive care in accordance with the Fourteenth Book of the Social Security Code due to the health and economic consequences of this damage. The pension can be paid in the form of a monthly pension.

Rehabilitation under the Occupational Rehabilitation Act:

According to the Occupational Rehabilitation Act, those affected who were subjected to occupational disadvantages in the former GDR as a result of unjustly suffered imprisonment as well as without being imprisoned can apply for occupational rehabilitation in order to obtain subsequent claims, primarily in the form of compensation for disadvantages in pension insurance.

Further subsequent claims for professional rehabilitation can be compensation for particular impairment of the economic situation and preferential professional training and retraining.

Rehabilitation under the Administrative Rehabilitation Act:

According to the Administrative Rehabilitation Act, those affected by measures of the GDR authorities that were fundamentally contrary to the rule of law, insofar as these have led to damage to health, encroachment on assets and/or occupation and the consequences of this still have a direct, severe and unreasonable impact today, can apply for the annulment or determination that these measures were contrary to the rule of law in order to justify subsequent claims.

Affected persons who have suffered damage to their health as a result of measures contrary to the rule of law can also apply for benefits under the Fourteenth Book of the Social Code.

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There are no deadlines for submitting applications, as the amendment to the Rehabilitation Acts in 2019 removed the time limit. A corresponding application can be submitted at any time.

Further information can be found on our website:

Objection or complaint

Please contact the Thuringian State Administration Office.

The competent authority is the Thuringian State Office of Administration.

With the exception of applications for criminal rehabilitation to be submitted to the Thuringian regional courts, applications for rehabilitation and compensation for SED injustice under the Professional and Administrative Rehabilitation Act must be submitted in writing to the Thuringian State Office of Administration. This also applies to applications for compensation (subsequent claim) due to a health impairment caused by SED injustice.