In my consultations with Jewish families assessing whether they may qualify for German citizenship, I often realize that they learned about this opportunity almost by accident. This motivates me to provide more context because, especially since 2021, Germany created broader legal pathways that opened significantly more opportunities for families affected by Nazi persecution to apply for German citizenship.
I also understand that in many Jewish families with German roots, Germany was rarely discussed, and German citizenship was not on their list at all.
But things have changed. Many families now see German citizenship as an entry into living and working in the European Union, creating important options and opportunities for themselves and future generations.
A German passport grants the right to live, work and study in all 27 European Union countries. Many families view this as an opportunity for their children and grandchildren to have broader educational, professional and travel freedom throughout Europe.
Still, many families affected by the Shoah do not know where to start.
Documents were lost during flight and emigration. Names were changed. Families became scattered across multiple continents. Many descendants know only fragments of what their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents experienced before fleeing Germany and the Shoah.
But with even a few names, dates or family stories, it is often possible to reconstruct forced emigration from Germany and locate important documents needed for a German citizenship application.
Sometimes an old passport is found in an attic. Sometimes a naturalization record or immigration file appears after a relative passes away. Some families begin with almost no documentation at all.
In the video below, I sit down with the journalist Maiken Scott to explain why many families affected by Nazi persecution may now have a path to German citizenship, even if they previously believed they did not qualify.
What is the foundation for restoration and restitution?
After the war, Germany created a constitutional right to restore German citizenship to individuals deprived of it because of Nazi persecution, forced displacement and the Shoah.
This right became part of Article 116(2) of the German Basic Law and was intended to restore citizenship to former German citizens and their descendants.
What many people still do not know is that Germany significantly expanded its citizenship laws in 2021 and created broader legal pathways for restitution and restoration.
The 2021 reform made access to German citizenship easier, although certainly not simple.
Many families still assume they are not eligible. Others are unaware that the newer laws were specifically designed to include families who previously fell into legal gaps.
This includes, for example:
- Descendants of former German citizens who lost citizenship before formal forced denaturalization
- Descendants of German minorities excluded from collective Nazi naturalization, such as German speaking Jews from the Sudetenland or Bukovina
- Descendants of people persecuted for racial, religious or political reasons who lived in Germany before 1933 but did not have German citizenship
- Descendants of German women who lost citizenship through marriage to a foreign national under discriminatory laws
- Children who could not inherit German citizenship because of outdated, gender-based citizenship rules
For many families, this process is not only about obtaining a passport and having access to EU countries. It is about recognition. Connection. Restitution. It is about reclaiming a part of family history interrupted by persecution, forced emigration and decades of silence.
What makes the process difficult?
The process remains document heavy.
Even though the law has become more generous, applicants still need to gather historical documents, birth certificates, marriage certificates, immigration records and documents proving the family line across generations.
In many cases, records must be obtained from archives and civil registries in Germany.
I also want to emphasize that legal representation is not required. German consulates, including the German Consulate General in New York, are generally expected to assist applicants with the process.
In practice, however, the situation can be more challenging. Very often, we receive emails that start with: “I have tried to do this on my own, but it appears I have hit my capacity and may require professional assistance.”
Stenner Law, a German law firm in Philadelphia, focuses on German citizenship law. We assist clients in obtaining records in Germany or former eastern territories of Nazi Germany, preparing applications in a structured manner, and taking over the entire communication with German authorities.
As a German attorney practicing in the United States and as a German American myself, this work carries deep personal meaning. Helping families reconnect with a part of their identity that was taken from them is, for me, not simply legal work. It is a contribution to remembrance, restoration and acknowledgment.
How does the process work?
Every case begins with an individual analysis of the family history and the legal framework that may apply. Some families qualify under Article 116(2) of the German Basic Law. Others qualify under the 2021 established Section 15 StAG.
In an initial consultation, I review the documents on hand, identify what is missing, and determine where records may be obtained. We work with genealogists and archives in Germany to retrieve documents and then apply on behalf of our clients.
We help families turn fragments of history into a clear legal path forward, creating access to new opportunities for future generations.
Christine Stenner
German Attorney in the U.S.
This is a paid post. JR’s editorial team had no role in its production.
