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In depth
StAG §15 (Section 15 of the Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz) was introduced by the 2021 reform of the German Nationality Act. It provides for naturalization (not restitution) of victims of Nazi persecution and their descendants, complementing Article 116 of the Basic Law.
StAG §15 covers cases that Article 116 does not reach — particularly: (1) those who fled Germany before being formally deprived of citizenship, (2) those who were persecuted but not formally denaturalized, and (3) descendants of German mothers married to non-German fathers (gender-equal treatment gaps).
Unlike Article 116 (which 'restores' citizenship retroactively), StAG §15 'naturalizes' the applicant from the date of application. However, the practical effect is similar — German citizenship and passport are granted.
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.
The BVA (Bundesverwaltungsamt, Federal Office of Administration) is the German authority in Cologne that processes Article 116 citizenship restitution applications.
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 Bundesarchiv (Federal Archives) is the German national archives, which holds the Reichsbürgergesetz deprivation records needed for Article 116 cases.