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The Fourth Act Amending the Nationality Act (2021) is the German legislative reform that expanded Article 116 restitution and introduced StAG §15.
In depth
The Fourth Act Amending the Nationality Act (Viertes Gesetz zur Änderung des Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetzes), in force since August 28, 2021, is the German legislative reform that expanded citizenship restitution for victims of Nazi persecution.
The reform: (1) introduced StAG §15, providing naturalization for victims not covered by Article 116; (2) addressed gender-equal treatment gaps (descendants of German mothers married to non-German fathers); (3) confirmed that restitution applies to descendants of any generation; (4) simplified the application process.
Before the 2021 reform, some descendants — particularly those of German mothers who married non-German fathers before April 1, 1953 — were denied Article 116 restitution. The reform remedied this and several other historical gaps.
Related terms
StAG (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz) is the German Nationality Act, which includes §15 providing for naturalization of victims of Nazi persecution and their descendants.
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.
StAG §15 is the section of the German Nationality Act that provides for naturalization of victims of Nazi persecution and their descendants, complementing Article 116.
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.
The BVA (Bundesverwaltungsamt, Federal Office of Administration) is the German authority in Cologne that processes Article 116 citizenship restitution applications.