Citizenship Restore develops nonprofit programs that connect historical memory with practical support for descendants of German and Austrian citizens persecuted under National Socialism. Our activities include archival research, preservation of family histories, educational guides, eligibility orientation and subsidized case support.
We aim to make complex historical and administrative processes easier to understand. A family may need to reconstruct events across several decades and jurisdictions, so our programs emphasize chronology, source verification and clear documentation. We help participants identify what is already known, what still needs to be proven and which archives or institutions are most likely to hold relevant material.
Our charitable work is supported by donations, partnerships and revenue from optional paid research or administrative services. Income from those services is reinvested into educational resources, historical research and assistance for eligible families with limited means.
This information is educational and does not replace official guidance or individualized legal advice.
What We Do?
Use internationally recognized archives and museum resources
Provide guidance for families reclaiming citizenship
Support with applications and access to funding opportunities
Who We Support?
Families with limited resources
Families needing expert navigation through complex legal procedures
How It Works?
Submit a support request form
Our team reviews eligibility
We provide step-by-step guidance until submission
We are proud to announce that the project is supported by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ).
How our nonprofit funding model works:
Citizenship Restore provides subsidized support to eligible families who cannot afford professional assistance.
Revenue from optional fee-based research and administrative services is reinvested in our charitable, cultural and educational activities.
These services help finance subsidized cases and the development of free public resources.
Citizenship Restore does not distribute profits to private individuals. All funds are used exclusively to advance the association’s nonprofit mission.
Our research may draw on civil registries, municipal and state archives, immigration and emigration records, restitution files, census material, address books, persecution documentation, memorial databases, synagogue and community records, historical newspapers and institutional collections. Sources such as the Arolsen Archives and other recognized repositories can be especially valuable when a family’s documents were lost, destroyed or dispersed.
Not every record proves the same thing. A birth certificate may establish identity and parentage; a residence record may place a person in a specific city; an emigration file may clarify when and why a family left; a persecution record may document measures taken against an individual. We therefore evaluate records in context and build an evidence chain rather than relying on a single document.
Citizenship Restore is a registered Swiss nonprofit. We preserve historical memory, support archival research and provide educational guidance for descendants of people persecuted under National Socialism who are exploring German or Austrian citizenship restoration.
An overview of Article 116(2), Section 15, descendant eligibility, archival evidence and commonly used documentation.
Read the guideAn educational overview of Section 58c, documentary research and the declaration process for descendants.
Read the guideHow archival research helps reconstruct family lines, nationality, persecution and migration records while preserving family memory.
Read the guideOur eligibility guidance is preliminary and informational. Citizenship decisions are made exclusively by the competent German or Austrian authorities.
