Many families around the world have ancestors who were forced to leave Germany during the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945.

In 2021, Germany introduced new provisions in its nationality law allowing descendants of victims of Nazi persecution to obtain German citizenship today.

If your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents fled Germany due to Nazi persecution, you may be eligible to reclaim German citizenship.

This opportunity exists even if your ancestors were not German citizens at the time, but lived in Germany and were forced to emigrate due to racial or political persecution.

Legal Basis: Section 15 of the German Nationality Act

The legal basis for these applications is Section 15 of the German Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz – StAG).

This provision was introduced to address historical injustices caused by the Nazi regime.

Under this regulation, descendants of persons who lost their residence in Germany in connection with Nazi persecution may obtain German citizenship.

Importantly, the law applies not only to former German citizens but also to persons who lived in Germany and were persecuted due to their religion, ethnicity or political beliefs.

This includes many Jewish families who were forced to flee Germany before or during the Second World War.

Who Is Eligible for German Citizenship?

Many descendants of refugees from Nazi Germany qualify for German citizenship today.

Typical cases include:

• Jewish families who fled Germany after the rise of the Nazi regime in 1933
• Families who left Germany following the Kristallnacht pogroms in 1938
• Persons whose ancestors were persecuted due to their religion or political beliefs
• Families who lived in Germany but held another nationality at the time (for example Polish or Eastern European citizenship)

German citizenship may be granted not only to children of persecuted persons, but also to grandchildren and later generations.

In many cases, the family history includes:

• residence in Germany before 1933 or before the Second World War
• persecution by the Nazi regime
• emigration between 1933 and 1941

German Citizenship for Jewish Descendants

Many applicants seeking German citizenship today are descendants of Jewish families who were forced to flee Nazi Germany.

Thousands of Jewish families left cities such as Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg or Cologne between 1933 and 1939.

Even if these families had another nationality at the time, they were still victims of racial persecution under the Nazi regime.

The current German nationality law explicitly recognizes this historical injustice and allows their descendants to reclaim German citizenship today.

What Documents Are Required?

Applications for German citizenship based on Nazi persecution usually require historical documentation.

Typical documents include:

• birth certificates
• marriage certificates
• documents showing residence in Germany
• emigration records or passenger lists
• archival records from German city archives
• restitution files (Wiedergutmachungsakten)

Post-war compensation files can be particularly helpful because they often contain official findings regarding Nazi persecution.

Application Procedure

Applications under Section 15 StAG are processed by the Federal Office of Administration (Bundesverwaltungsamt) in Germany.

The procedure usually involves the following steps:

1. Legal assessment of eligibility
2. Research of family history and archival documents
3. Preparation of the application
4. Submission to the German authorities

The processing time may vary depending on the complexity of the case. Well documented cases are typically processed within 12 to 18 months.

Benefits of German Citizenship

Obtaining German citizenship offers many advantages.

German citizens may:

• live and work in Germany
• move freely within the European Union
• establish a business in any EU Member State
• travel visa-free to many countries

German citizenship can also be passed on to future generations.

German Citizenship Lawyers – How We Can Help

Applying for German citizenship based on Nazi persecution often requires extensive historical documentation.

Our law firm assists clients worldwide in preparing and submitting applications for German citizenship.

Our services include:

• legal evaluation of eligibility
• archival research in Germany
• obtaining historical documents
• preparation of the citizenship application
• communication with German authorities

If you believe that your family may qualify for German citizenship due to Nazi persecution, we would be happy to evaluate your case.

O.Law is a modern and dynamic law firm working in cooperation with highly motivated, professionals offering legal advice in the heart of Düsseldorf. We are characterized by our cooperation with a tax advisor and a network of lawyers in Eastern Europe.

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O.Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH

Attorney at Law Hülya Oruç Aslan, LL.M.

Uhlandstraße 42

40237 Düsseldorf

+ 49 211 976 358 -19

info@olaw.eu

www.olaw.eu

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