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In depth
StAG (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, Nationality Act) is the German nationality law, originally enacted in 1913 and significantly amended since. It governs German citizenship acquisition and loss.
StAG §15 (introduced by the 2021 reform) provides for naturalization of victims of Nazi persecution who lost or were denied German citizenship between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945, and their descendants. It complements Article 116 of the Basic Law by covering cases that Article 116 does not reach.
StAG §13 governs naturalization of former Germans who lost citizenship and wish to regain it. StAG §12 covers discretionary naturalization. The 2021 reform also addressed gender-equal treatment gaps in prior law.
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 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.
The Bundesarchiv (Federal Archives) is the German national archives, which holds the Reichsbürgergesetz deprivation records needed for Article 116 cases.
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.