Since 1 September 2020, an amendment to the Austrian Citizenship Act is opening an opportunity for direct descendants of victims of the National Socialist Regime to acquire Austrian citizenship – a step consciously taken by Austria in recognition of its historical responsibility.
There are people in every age group who – for many different reasons – have decided to accept Austrian citizenship – all of their stories are moving and should never be forgotten.,
says Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.
Looking back to the one-year anniversary of this amendment, the President of the Jewish Community (Israelitische Kultusgemeinde) also acknowledges the value of citizenship for descendants of Jewish victims of Nazi persecution from Austria.
The restitution of Austrian citizenship has proven a unique way for the Republic of Austria to build bridges with the victims of National Socialism and their families who were expelled from this country. The positive resonance from all over the world has been overwhelming.,
says Oskar Deutsch.
In order to highlight some of these exemplary life stories, they will now be collected in a publication.
We worked with the Jewish Community (Israelitische Kultusgemeinde) to initiate a project that would capture these life stories. We want to show selected portraits in order to breathe life into what the general public often sees as a piece of legislation only. We want to create a book that might also inspire others to consciously explore their Austrian ancestry and ultimately become Austrians themselves,
says Schallenberg.
From an Austrian perspective, this new legislation to obtain citizenship offers an opportunity for affected persons to reclaim a piece of their identity that was unforgivably stolen from them more than half a century ago. Moreover, Austria seeks to send a signal with this initiative – an attempt to consciously prevent the horrors of the Nazi regime from being forgotten and to honour the memories of the countless victims. The law has been in force for a year – time to reflect and to take stock:
as of 26 August 2021, the competent municipal department in Vienna received 16,598 declarations to obtain citizenship. Of these, 12,812 were submitted through the diplomatic representations abroad – most of them from Tel Aviv, London, and the United States – while around 3,000 declarations were handed in directly in Vienna. Of the initiated citizenship proceedings, the competent Viennese municipal department has already been able to successfully conclude more than 6,600.
The employees of the Austrain Foreign Ministry and the diplomatic representations play a prominent role in helping descendants of Nazi victims to obtain Austrian citizenship: they are often the first point of contact for potential applicants, they advise people in submitting reports, they offer support during the administrative process, and they assist new citizens when they need proof of citizenship, passports, or consular services.
