The International Tracing Service (ITS), which has been based in Arolsen, Germany, since 1946, has the task of centralizing information on victims of National Socialist persecution in order to enable them or their rightful claimants to obtain compensation. In 1955, the ITS was placed under the supervision of a ten-country International Commission and responsibility for its day-to-day management was entrusted to the ICRC. In 1990, the number of requests made to the ITS rose again, by 14.27%, and application was made for the fourth time to the Federal German Ministry of the Interior for additional staff. As at 31 December, 398 persons were working either full-time or part-time to fill 340 posts at the ITS.