The lower house of the German parliament has voted overwhelmingly to pardon Germans convicted under laws introduced by the Nazis -- formally rehabilitating up to half-a-million people after more than fifty years.

The new law cancels all convictions imposed by courts between 1933 and 1945 for political, military, racial and religious reasons.

However, it does not provide for any compensation.

The law passed easily with the votes of Chancellor Kohl's governing Christian Democrats and the Secial Democrats.

But the Greens abstained, saying the exoneration for deserters and homosexuals was not explicit enough.