German Citizenship based on Restoration

Were Your German Ancestors Stripped of Their Citizenship by the Nazis?

Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazi regime systematically revoked the citizenship of Jews, political dissidents, and other persecuted groups. This was part of a broader campaign of legal exclusion, racial persecution, and the destruction of civil rights. If your ancestors were affected, you may be eligible to reclaim German citizenship.
At Stenner Law, we help descendants of persecuted families navigate the legal restitution process — from verifying family history to preparing successful applications.
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A sepia-toned photo of the SS Bremen, a German ocean liner used by Jewish refugees in the 1930s, with two vintage suitcases on the dock in the foreground.

Two Legal Paths to Citizenship Restitution

1. Restoration Under Article 116(2) GG

If your ancestor was a German citizen who lost their nationality due to racial, political, or religious persecution, you likely qualify for full restoration of German citizenship under Article 116(2) of the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz).
Key features of Article 116(2):
  • Citizenship is restored retroactively
  • No German language or residency requirements
  • Applies to descendants over multiple generations
  • Covers persecution between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945
This path is most common for families of Jewish ancestry, political exiles, and others who held citizenship but were stripped of it through Nazi legislation.

2. Restitution Under Section 15 of the German Nationality Act (StAG)

Section 15 StAG may apply when Nazi-era persecution prevented your ancestor from keeping or acquiring German citizenship. This includes German women who lost citizenship by marrying a foreigner, people who naturalized in another country before the 1941 Nazi denaturalization law, and individuals excluded from naturalization due to racial, religious, or political persecution. Descendants may be eligible today.

This may apply if:
  • Your ancestor was born in Germany but denied citizenship based on Nazi racial or political classifications
  • Legal restrictions targeted your family due to Jewish identity, statelessness, or exile
  • Women or children were excluded due to discriminatory nationality rules

Who qualifies for German citizenship by restitution, and how can you find out if you are eligible? In this conversation, German-born U.S. journalist and radio host Maiken Scott interviews German attorney Christine Stenner, founder of STENNER LAW, about German citizenship by restoration and restitution.

In this interview, Attorney Christine Stenner explains who may qualify today, what legal pathways may be available, and the benefits of German citizenship, including the right to live and work in 27 European Union countries. It also touches on the value of this pathway in comparison to other citizenship or residency options, such as Golden Visas, which can involve substantial financial investment.

Nazi Laws That Stripped Citizenship

Restoration claims often relate to key historical laws, including:

This law allowed the Nazi government to revoke the naturalizations of those whose citizenship was deemed “undesirable,” specifically targeting Jews who had immigrated from Eastern Europe and political opponents. The law was implemented with explicit racist and antisemitic intent, as confirmed by the language in the implementing order, which referenced “völkisch-national (and racial) principles” and singled out “Eastern Jews” for denaturalization.

Legal Effect:
Once citizenship was revoked, individuals became stateless and lost all legal protections under German law, with no right of appeal.

Part of the Nuremberg Laws, the Reich Citizenship Law redefined the concept of citizenship in Germany. It limited full citizenship (“Reich citizen”) to those of “German or kindred blood,” explicitly excluding Jews and others from political and civil rights. Jews were relegated to the status of “state subjects,” removing their rights as citizens.

Legal Effect:
Jews and other targeted groups lost the right to vote, hold public office, and enjoy other protections and privileges of citizenship.

This decree, issued during the Holocaust, stripped Jews living outside the Reich (i.e., those who had fled or been deported) of their German citizenship, and authorized the confiscation of their property.
Legal Effect:
The decree rendered these Jews stateless and facilitated the expropriation of their assets. Most Jews who lost citizenship under Nazi rule did so as a result of this decree.

These laws laid the groundwork for mass disenfranchisement and state-sanctioned theft, recognized under German law as unconstitutional acts of injustice.

Archival Research Support

Archival Research Support

For our clients, we conduct research in Germany and can, in most cases, retrieve birth certificates, marriage certificates, and other civil records needed for a citizenship application.

When records are not readily available, we search local archives, registry offices, and historical collections. If necessary, we conduct extensive research to document the family line and prepare the evidence required for the application.

The following resources may help you obtain additional information about your family history, ancestry, emigration records, and historical documents, particularly for English-speaking researchers.

Let Us Help You Reclaim What Was Taken

Restoring German citizenship is more than a legal act. It is a recognition of history, justice, and personal dignity. If your family was affected by Nazi persecution, you may have a legal right to reclaim this legacy.

At Stenner Law, we have supported Jewish families through the restoration process, and understand that pursuing citizenship restoration is not simply a matter of gathering documents or completing legal forms; it is an act of historical reflection, often involving difficult emotions and a profound connection to a family legacy shaped by loss, displacement, and survival.

We approach every case with care, legal precision, and deep respect for what this process means to you and your family.

Schedule a consultation with Stenner Law

To begin the process of restoring your family’s citizenship and reclaiming what was unjustly taken.

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EMAIL

office@stennerlaw.com

CALL US

(215) 770-9488

ADDRESS

3675 Market Street, Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA

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