Article 116(2): restoring citizenship for descendants of Nazi persecution

If your ancestors lost their German citizenship through Nazi-era persecution between 1933 and 1945 — denaturalised, forced to flee, or stripped of nationality on political, racial or religious grounds — their descendants may reclaim it under Article 116(2) of the German Basic Law.

Why it is so generous

It is one of the most open citizenship routes anywhere: no generational cap, no deadline, generally no fee, and no language or residence test. Most cases involve Jewish families, but the legal test is persecution, not religion.

The evidence is the work

What matters is the record: denaturalisation entries, emigration or deportation documents, or archive holdings such as the Arolsen Archives. Finding those records is the hard part — and it is exactly what this guide helps with.

General information, not legal advice. German nationality law turns on exact dates, places and documents — confirm your situation with the responsible authority or a qualified lawyer.

The StAG §5 declaration deadline: why 19 August 2031 matters

Not every route to German citizenship is open indefinitely. The StAG §5 declaration route fixes historic gender-discriminatory rules that stripped or blocked citizenship — for example, children of a German mother and a foreign father born before 1975, or of an unmarried German father — and their descendants.

The clock is running

The route opened on 20 August 2021 as a ten-year window, and currently closes on 19 August 2031. If your family lost or was denied citizenship through those old rules, this is the route to check first — and the deadline means it pays to start tracing your line now rather than later.

By contrast, the restoration routes for Nazi-era persecution — Article 116(2) and StAG §15 — have no deadline.

General information, not legal advice. German nationality law turns on exact dates, places and documents — confirm your situation with the responsible authority or a qualified lawyer.

Germany’s 2024 dual-citizenship reform: what it means for descendants

On 27 June 2024, Germany’s biggest citizenship reform in decades came into force. The headline change: Germany now broadly permits dual citizenship. Where non-EU applicants previously had to give up their existing nationality to naturalise, they generally no longer do.

What it means if you claim by descent

For citizenship by descent, and for restoration under Article 116(2) or StAG §15, dual citizenship was already allowed — but the reform removes any lingering doubt and aligns the whole system. The practical takeaway is simple: claiming your German citizenship no longer means surrendering the passport you already hold.

The reform also shortened ordinary naturalisation timelines for residents. That route is different from descent, but the direction of travel is clear: Germany has moved decisively towards accepting multiple nationalities.

As always, the exact rules turn on your specific route and the dates in your family line.

General information, not legal advice. German nationality law turns on exact dates, places and documents — confirm your situation with the responsible authority or a qualified lawyer.