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A Chicago woman is sueing Hungarian Railways for the transportation of Jews to Auschwitz, Germany during the Nazi Holocaust.
82 year-old Magda Brown was taken to a concentration camp with her family on her 17th birthday in 1944. She was taken away from her parents to do forced labor under the Nazi regime. The entire family was taken from the Hungarian city of Miskolc to Germany where they suffered as did countless Holocaust victims.
About 10 years ago, Brown asked Hungarian authorities for compensation for the death of her parents. "I got 70 dollars," she said. "70 dollars for two human beings." After being dissatisfied with the payment, she set out for justice. Attorney Anthony D'Amatto sued the railroad for the theft of Holocaust victims' property - not their unrighteous deaths. The law suit seeks $240 million in damages, which is an estimated 5 percent of the Hungarians' wealth. D'Amatto also asks for $1 billion in punitive damages.
The Hungarian Embassy in the U.S. declined to comment on the lawsuit. However, Peter Black, Holocaust historian, believes that nations such as Hungary were unable to financially admit moral responsibility after the tragic events of World War II.
Whether or not Hungary has financial responsibilities over events that took place about 70 years ago lies in the hands of a jury and Holocaust survivor Magda Brown.