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In depth
The BVA (Bundesverwaltungsamt, Federal Office of Administration) is the German federal authority based in Cologne that processes Article 116 citizenship restitution applications. It is the primary filing authority for German CBD cases.
Applications can be filed directly with the BVA or through the German consulate of the applicant's jurisdiction. Ancestra typically files directly with the BVA on the client's behalf using a German power of attorney.
Processing time is 12-30 months, depending on the complexity of the case and the availability of Nazi-era records at the Bundesarchiv. Germany permits dual citizenship for Article 116 restitution cases.
Related terms
Article 116 of the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz) restores German citizenship to those deprived of it by the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945, and to their descendants.
The Bundesarchiv (Federal Archives) is the German national archives, which holds the Reichsbürgergesetz deprivation records needed for Article 116 cases.
The Grundgesetz (Basic Law) is the German constitution, adopted in 1949, which includes Article 116 on citizenship restitution for Nazi-era persecutees.
The Reichsbürgergesetz (Reich Citizenship Law) of 1935 was the Nazi-era law that stripped German Jews of their citizenship, and whose victims are eligible for Article 116 restitution.
StAG (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz) is the German Nationality Act, which includes §15 providing for naturalization of victims of Nazi persecution and their descendants.
The Arolsen Archives (International Center on Nazi Persecution) is the world's largest archive on Nazi persecution, holding records relevant to Article 116 restitution claims.