h3xtrooper

Over the past two weeks or so I've been collecting documents necessary to apply to have my grandfather's German citizenship reinstated for myself, as his was stripped during WW2 for his Jewish heritage. I am an Australian citizen.

Specifically, the law reads:

Former German citizens who[,] between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945[,] were deprived of their citizenship on political, racial, or religious grounds, and their descendants, shall on application have their citizenship restored. They shall be deemed never to have been deprived of their citizenship if they have established their domicile in Germany after May 8, 1945 and have not expressed a contrary intention.[1]

My grandfather escaped to Switzerland in 1936, served for the British army throughout the end of WW2 and finally became a British citizen in 1947. He lived outside of Germany from 1936 onward and never returned to reclaim his citizenship and did not become a citizen of any other country (this would mean he would renounce any potential claim to a German citizenship) until 1947. He was classified as stateless until the time of becoming a British citizen.

The full thread where it all comes together (I began trying to prove that I was a British citizen actually) can be found here: http://britishexpats.com/forum/immig...escent-909103/

But I'm posting a thread here as it's the relevant forum and I'm about to formally lodge my application. I'm hoping that this might be of resource to future possible secret Germans who are going to go through the same process.

I am submitting the following certified documents (I've got them in this order, but I don't think it's relevant, but I also have quite a few more documents than required).

• Official document from the 'Czschoslovak Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare Repatratiation Office' that acts as a death certificate for my great-grandfather, with transport & cremation listing details (deported to Theresienstadt)
• Certified translation of Birth Certificate for my grandfather, to two parents 'of Jewish religion'
• Certified copy of my grandfather's British Certificate of Naturalization, Oath of Allegiance and other sworn documents
• 'Certificate of Particulars of Birth' for my grandmother
• Certificate of Marriage for my grandfather & grandmother
• Mother's birth certificate
• 'Confirmation of Registration as a Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies' for my grandmother
• Copy of my grandfather's UK passport, which acts as a family passport for my grandmother & mother (grandfather & grandmother pictured, mother's details listed as she was a child at the time)
• Grandfather's death certificate
• Letter from the United Restitution Organization detailing the commencement of her restitution pension related to my grandfather's persecution, dated a year after he died (in German)
• Certificate of Marriage for my mother and father
• Letter from the United Restitution Organisation (Australian division) stating that my grandmother's pension had increased. Dated 1984 (in English).
• Birth certificate for myself
• Certified images of my grandfather's British service medals for WW2. (possibly superfluous)

I should either be lodging it today or early next week (so last week of February, 2018). I'm prepared to have to wait around 18 months apparently.

Will post eventual updates here. It's been very surreal to discover these details about my grandfather.

Cheers!

BEVS

Please do update. Highly interesting.

Pollyana

Previous thread
http://britishexpats.com/forum/immig...escent-909103/

scot47

Interesting. I am sure others would like to hear of any outcome.

Pulaski

Doesn't ".... if they have established their domicile in Germany after May 8, 1945 and have not expressed a contrary intention. ....", in the first paragraph you quoted, mean you have to be living in Germany?

BritInParis

It means that anyone who returned to Germany after the end of the war was deemed never to have been deprived so there's nothing to be restored as they continue to be German citizens unless they specified they did not wish to. Obviously many (most?) didn't return and therefore they need to go through this process.

stormster

I didn't know this was possible. Please update us if you are able to get one.

h3xtrooper

Just a quick update, I've finally sent away the form and documents as of today (9/3/18).

Had to wait to get a birth certificate for my father, even though he is the 'non-German' side, I saw that in the Handbook for this process it recommended birth certificates for any parent.

Will update original post to reflect complete list of submitted documents and the date.

Turbobrake

Amazing story and history ... good to hear how you get on.

BritInParis

It’s perfectly possible under the circumstances the OP describes.

Tweedpipe

You're in dangerous territory contradicting info supplied by BritInParis........

Thairetired2016

Based on an article I recently read in a German paper, it is easily possible based on the given background. I never heard of the requirement "having a link to Germany" .

Assanah

I think maybe there was a mixup. You need to prove close links to Germany if you are a German citizen who wants to apply for a second citizenship. You need permission to do so if you want to keep your German citizenship. One requirement of the permission is still having links to Germany.

BritInParis

Any update on this?