German Citizenship – Nazi Persecution

Article 116 II Basic Law and Section 15 StAG

If your parent, grandparent, or another ancestor was affected by Nazi persecution, you and your ancestors may be eligible for German citizenship today.

Quick Eligibility Check
You may have a case if one or more of the following applies to you or your family member:
– live in Germany before or during the Nazi era
– was persecuted on political, racial, or religious grounds
– left Germany because of persecution
– lost German citizenship or was prevented from obtaining it
– are a direct descendant of that person

If this sounds like your family history, the next step is to determine which legal route applies. The difference matters, because the legal basis shapes the way the case should be reviewed, documented, and presented.

Which Legal Path May Apply to You?

There are two main legal routes for victims of Nazi persecution and their descendants:

Article 116 Ⅱ Basic Law
Article 116 Ⅱ applies to former German citizens who were deprived of citizenship during the Nazi era on political, racial, or religious grounds, and to their descendants.

Sec. 15 Citizenship Law
Section 15 applies to people and descendants who suffered a citizenship disadvantage because of Nazi persecution, but who do not already qualify under Article 116 Ⅱ. This can include cases involving loss of citizenship, exclusion from citizenship, or other legal barriers tied to persecution. Section 15 was added to address those gaps and extends to descendants as well.

Photo by Christian Paul Stobbe on Unsplash

Request a Confidential Case Review

If your family was affected by Nazi persecution, we can help you determine whether you may qualify for German citizenship under Article 116 Ⅱ or Section 15 StAG.

We review the facts, assess the likely legal path, identify the key records, and help you move forward with a clear plan.

Contact us for a confidential case review.

Stephan W. Schenk
Email: sws@msworldlaw.com
Phone: +1 (305) 341-3100

Photo by Maheshkumar Painam on Unsplash

Article 116 II Basic Law

Who Article 116 Ⅱ Usually Covers
We typically look at Article 116 Ⅱ where a family’s case involves a clear deprivation of German citizenship during the Nazi period.

This often includes:
– a Jewish grandparent or great-grandparent who was a German citizen and later lost citizenship
– a family member whose citizenship was revoked because of Nazi persecution
– descendants of a person who had German citizenship first and was later stripped of it

How We Review an Article 116 Case
When we review an Article 116 case, we usually begin with two core questions. First, was the ancestor a German citizen? Second, was that citizenship taken away because of Nazi persecution? If the answer may be yes, we then review the line of descent carefully and assess how the citizenship history can be documented in a way that is clear and legally persuasive.

Documents We Usually Help Clients Collect
For Article 116 cases, we typically work with

birth certificates
marriage certificates
death certificates, where relevant
proof of German citizenship
records showing deprivation or loss of citizenship
immigration and naturalization records
name change documents, if applicable

How We Handle the Process
We guide Article 116 matters step by step. We review the family history, identify the strongest legal path, organize the evidence into a coherent record chain, prepare the application materials, and guide the filing through the proper authority.

For applicants living abroad, the responsible authority is generally the Federal Office of Administration (BVA).

Section 15 StAG

Who Section 15 Usually Covers
We look at Section 15 when a family member was clearly harmed by Nazi persecution, but the case does not fit the classic Article 116 deprivation model.

Official German guidance states that Section 15 applies where persecution led to specific citizenship disadvantages, including cases where people:

gave up or lost German citizenship before February 26, 1955
were excluded from lawfully acquiring German citizenship
were not naturalized even though naturalization otherwise would have been possible
gave up or lost their ordinary residence in Germany in connection with persecution

Descendants of those persons are also entitled to naturalization.

How We Review a Section 15 Case
When we assess a Section 15 case, we look closely at what happened to the family during the Nazi period and how that history affected citizenship rights.

This includes reviewing whether citizenship was lost, denied, blocked, or interrupted, whether the facts fit one of the statutory categories, and whether the line of descent can be documented clearly. Many cases depend on how the facts are legally framed. A case that is placed under the wrong route or supported by the wrong documents can be significantly weakened.

Documents We Usually Help Clients Collect
For Section 15 cases, we often work with:

birth certificate
marriage certificates
proof of descent
emigration records
foreign naturalization records
residence records
historical records showing persecution or exclusion
any documents showing why citizenship was lost, denied, or not acquired

How We Handle the Process
For Section 15 applications, we help clients determine whether this is the correct route, identify the necessary family and historical records, prepare the application clearly, and guide the filing process.

Our role is not just to make a checklist. Our role is to determine which documents are actually useful in your specific case, and assist in locating them.

Schedule a Consultation Today

Our lawyers will fight tirelessly for you as your devoted advocates and provide legal
counsel as though you are family. Contact us online or call us at 305-341-3100 to
schedule a consultation today.