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Volkswagen Comments on Lawsuits Concerning WWII Slave Labor

1 September 1998

Volkswagen Comments on Lawsuits Alleging the Use of Slave Labor In Germany During the War

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 31 -- Volkswagen of America, Inc.
has not been served with the lawsuits which have been reported this weekend,
and cannot comment on any lawsuit it has not read; it can only comment on
lawsuits, if at all, after they are received and examined in detail.
    However, on the general issue of labor used in German factories during the
War, we can restate the following:

    Volkswagen recognizes the sad truth that many people were forced to work
for almost every German company during the War.  This also occurred at the
government-owned factory which was liberated by the Allies in 1945 and later
was acquired by today's Volkswagen.  The Volkswagen of today was created after
the War, when the British Allied Forces rebuilt it anew.
    Volkswagen, as it has evolved after the war, holds the deepest possible
regret for the inhumanities that occurred during that terrible time.
Volkswagen has been a leader among German companies in finding out what
happened and preserving forever the memories, so that all can learn about and
never repeat such times.
    In 1985, Volkswagen commissioned a noted historian to fully document the
past, and in 1996 he published a 1,000 page book on the subject.  In addition,
Volkswagen has funded humanitarian projects throughout the countries where
workers originated.  It has also planned the opening of a company archive on
this subject, the endowment of a university chair, and a series of conferences
on the subject of the Volkswagen factory and its workers during the Third
Reich.
    Indeed, Volkswagen recently announced it will become the first German
company to establish a private fund to implement humanitarian efforts which
will directly benefit individuals who were forced to work at the factory
during 1944-1945, and their families.  This was done solely in recognition of
its historical and moral responsibilities, and apart from the Federal Republic
of Germany's reparations and compensation, which amount to more than
$50 billion thus far.