Swedish Ikea promises in a statement of intent to pay nearly 70 million kronor to a fund for individuals who fell victim to the former East German dictatorship.
The furniture giant admitted after an independent investigation in 2012 that some of its suppliers had used political prisoners in the GDR as forced laborers in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The person representing the victims says that Ikea's commitment to supporting the fund is "an expression of a responsible approach to the dark chapters in the company's history".
We deeply regret that products for Ikea were also produced by political prisoners, says Walter Kadnar, head of Ikea in Germany.
The German coalition government promised when it took office in 2021 to establish a fund for victims of crimes committed under the GDR regime before Germany's reunification in 1990.
