Reclaiming the Past, Preparing for the Future: Why More Jewish Americans Are Seeking German Citizenship

In a twist of history, Jewish Americans whose families once fled Nazi persecution are now turning back to Germany—not for refuge, but for a possible second passport. What was once unthinkable for many survivors and their descendants is becoming a deeply personal, and at times painful, decision.

Joe Sacks, a high school science teacher in Washington, DC, is among hundreds of Jewish Americans beginning the process to reclaim German citizenship. For Sacks, whose family escaped Nazi Germany, the irony is not lost. “You click ‘Yes, I’m Jewish’ on the German form and send it to the German government,” he told NPR. “It’s wild.”

What may seem like a bureaucratic act is, for many, an emotional reckoning with the past and a reflection of today’s uncertainty.

A Growing Movement Fueled by Fear and History

While some applicants cite practical advantages like freedom of movement within the EU, many are driven by a rising unease in America’s political climate. The rhetoric surrounding immigrants, the media, and academic institutions under figures like Donald Trump evokes an eerie familiarity. For some, it recalls Germany’s descent into fascism in the 1930s.

“This rise of authoritarianism just parallels the rise of Hitler,” said Eric Podietz, a retired IT consultant in Philadelphia. His mother fled Germany as a child in the 1930s. “The signs are there. It’s happening.”

He, like many others, isn’t planning to leave the U.S. immediately—but he’s preparing for what he hopes never comes.

A Legacy Reclaimed

At a July 2024 ceremony in New York, 82 Holocaust survivors and their descendants were granted German citizenship. David Gill, then Germany’s Consul General in New York, acknowledged the symbolic and emotional weight of these naturalizations. “It reminds us how much knowledge and wisdom was lost by expelling and murdering the Jews,” he said.

Since Trump’s election in 2016, the German consulate in New York has seen a steady surge in applications—from 350 in 2016 to 1,500 in 2024. That year alone, 700 people were granted citizenship.

A Complex Journey

Germany’s Basic Law has long promised restitution to those persecuted by the Nazis, but bureaucratic hurdles kept many descendants from reclaiming their status. Prior to 2021, requirements around gender, family lineage, and financial self-sufficiency disqualified many. These barriers have now been lifted, making it easier for descendants—especially those from the maternal line—to apply.

Still, the process isn’t easy. Applicants must locate historical documents, often decades old, and submit everything in German. “Even though it’s free, it’s not always simple,” said Marius Tollenaere, an immigration lawyer in Frankfurt.

Generational Pain and Reluctant Acceptance

For many families, the idea of reconnecting with Germany brings a mix of hesitation and heartbreak.

Scott Mayerowitz, whose grandparents fled the Nazis, said his mother was initially opposed. “My parents must be turning over in their graves,” she told CNN. But with time, she agreed—seeing the EU’s opportunities for her granddaughter and the unsettling political changes at home.

For Arlington resident Anne Barnett, her mother’s reluctance turned to support only after witnessing the growing anti-Semitism in America.

“I Feel Safer in Germany”

Erin Levi, a travel writer in Connecticut, found her grandfather’s 1942 alien ID card and decided to act. She says she feels safer in Germany now, 80 years after the Holocaust, than in some other parts of the world. “Germany has taken responsibility in a way few nations have,” she said. “It’s become a strong ally of Israel and a defender against anti-Semitism.”

A Passport and a Warning

Steve North, a journalist, applied for German citizenship in 2020, worried about Trump’s possible re-election. When receiving his papers, he was surprised to hear the German consul general say it felt like reclaiming a piece of German history.

North still lives in the U.S., but his reasoning is clear: “It would be foolish to disregard the possibility of history repeating itself… given the Jew-hatred we constantly see on both the far right and far left.”