Ikea to Pay 6 Million Euros into SED Victims' Fund

The Swedish furniture giant Ikea has announced that it will pay 6 million euros into a fund for victims of the former East German communist regime.

The company said the payment was a "gesture of reconciliation" and an acknowledgment of the suffering caused by the communist dictatorship in East Germany.

Ikea said it had been working with the SED Victims' Association to establish the fund, which will provide financial assistance to victims of the regime.

The SED, or Socialist Unity Party of Germany, was the ruling party in East Germany from 1949 to 1990. The regime was responsible for widespread human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and murder.

Ikea said it was aware that its decision to pay into the fund would be controversial, but it believed it was the right thing to do.

"We are not trying to buy forgiveness," said Ikea spokeswoman Sabine Kehm. "We are simply trying to make a gesture of reconciliation and to acknowledge the suffering that was caused by the SED regime."

The SED Victims' Association welcomed Ikea's decision.

"This is a significant gesture from Ikea," said association chairman Dieter Dombrowski. "It shows that the company is serious about its commitment to reconciliation."

The fund will be used to provide financial assistance to victims of the SED regime, including those who were imprisoned, tortured, or forced to flee the country.

Ikea's decision to pay into the fund comes at a time when there is growing public awareness of the suffering caused by the SED regime.

In recent years, several other companies have also paid into the fund, including Volkswagen, Deutsche Bank, and Siemens.