Eighty years after World War II ended, Italian courts continue to recognize the right to compensation for the heirs of Holocaust victims and victims of other crimes committed by the Third Reich. A 2022 law opened a concrete legal avenue: heirs can file claims against Germany in Italian courts, obtain a judgment ordering compensation, and access a dedicated compensation fund established by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
One of the most recent confirmations is a ruling issued by the Court of Monza on April 16, 2026. The court ordered Germany to compensate the heirs of a Jewish couple from Monza, Lombardy, who were arrested in November 1943. The pair was deported to Auschwitz and murdered upon arrival on December 11 of that same year.
The facts were reconstructed through the Il Libro della Memoria (The Book of Remembrance) by Holocaust historian Liliana Picciotto; the archives of the CDEC Foundation in Milan; civil registry records; and the Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) installed in Monza in their memory.
During the same period, other Italian courts have issued similar rulings. The legal principle is now firmly established: The right to compensation for crimes against humanity is not subject to any statute of limitations. The passage of time does not erase the right to justice.
Many Italian Jewish families still preserve memories of experiences like the one brought to court in Monza. This memory is not only a moral obligation, but also the foundation for a concrete legal path. The message is clear: this door should not be considered closed in advance.
Not even before a court of law.
Giulio Disegni