By Christine Stenner, Attorney (Germany) at Stenner Law| Foreign Legal Consultant (PA) | September 20, 2025
Restoring Justice and Family History
For Jewish families, reclaiming German citizenship is not only about honoring their heritage — it is about opening options for the future.
At Stenner Law, we understand that every case tied to German citizenship carries a human story. We engage with archives and visit Jewish museums to fully understand this history. With personal roots in Germany, we carry a lived understanding of this past — growing up with it taught through grandparents, in schools, and visiting concentration camps deepened our awareness, reminding us that behind every law were families, careers, and lives disrupted. Our goal is to combine this historical understanding with legal expertise to help descendants of Jewish families reclaim their citizenship today.
The 1933 Civil Service Law: The Beginning of Exclusion
Already in early 1933, the Nazi government passed the Gesetz zur Wiederherstellung des Berufsbeamtentums (Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service). This law forced Jews and political opponents out of public service, stripping professors, judges, doctors, and scientists of their careers.
Key provisions included:
- § 3: Retiring civil servants “not of Aryan descent.”
- § 4: Dismissing those deemed politically unreliable.
- § 6: Allowing forced retirement without legal justification.
This was the start of systematic exclusion that pushed many Jewish professionals into exile.
Escape and Barriers to Immigration
Many Jews tried to emigrate immediately. However, strict U.S. immigration quotas blocked countless families.
According to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum:
- In 1933, more than 25,000 visas were available, but fewer than 1,300 were issued, while over 82,000 people remained on waiting lists.
- By 1938, after Austria was annexed, over 139,000 Germans — most of them Jewish — were still waiting, even as persecution escalated.
These numbers reveal how difficult escape was, even for those who saw the danger early.
The 1941 Law Stripping Jews of Citizenship
Then in 1941, the Nazis issued the Eleventh Decree to the Reich Citizenship Law, which stripped Jews abroad of their German citizenship and confiscated their property. This act made Jewish refugees stateless and severed their connection to their homeland.
Article 116 and Citizenship Restoration Today
After World War II, Germany acknowledged these injustices. Article 116(2) of the Basic Law guarantees that Jews who lost their German citizenship between 1933 and 1945, and their descendants, can have it restored. Modern reforms under the Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz extend this right further.
Why German Citizenship Matters Now
Reclaiming German citizenship is not only about honoring family history. We also understand that today, having opportunities and options where to travel and where to live matters. A German passport, as a European Union passport, gives the right to live and work in 27 EU countries and is ranked third in the world for visa-free travel. For many Jewish families, restoring citizenship means reconnecting with heritage while also gaining new opportunities for their family.
Stenner Law’s Commitment
At Stenner Law, we combine historical understanding with precise legal expertise. Helping Jewish families reclaim German citizenship is one of our central missions.
Next Steps
The most important first step is to review the documents you already have and identify where missing records can be obtained. We encourage you to book a consultation and send us your documents in advance, so we can evaluate them carefully and provide you with a clear answer on your eligibility.
👉 Schedule your consultation here
*The photograph included here is during a a recent visit of Christine Stenner to the Jewish Museum Berlin and the Leo Baeck Institute New York | Berlin.
