Did a German Child Automatically Lose Citizenship Through a Father’s Mexican Naturalization in 1935?
Hi everyone, I would really appreciate some insight on a historical German citizenship by descent case involving derivative naturalization of a minor/adult child.
My case is through my paternal great-grandfather:
• He was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1886.
• He emigrated to Mexico around 1890.
• He naturalized as a Mexican citizen on July 23, 1935.
• My grandfather was born in Mexico on December 1, 1914 — therefore before his father’s naturalization.
• My father was born in 1947 and I was born in 1970.
I currently already have an open Feststellung procedure with the BVA under §30 StAG and have an Aktenzeichen assigned.
The key legal question is this:
At the time my great-grandfather naturalized in Mexico in 1935, my grandfather was 20 years old. In Mexican naturalization records, my grandfather appears listed together with his siblings as children of the applicant.
My question is whether, under the German citizenship law applicable at that time, my grandfather would automatically have lost German citizenship through his father’s foreign naturalization, or whether he could still legally have remained German because he did not personally apply for Mexican naturalization himself.
I have seen contradictory interpretations regarding children who were included derivatively in a parent’s foreign naturalization, especially when they were still considered minors or under parental authority at the time.
Has anyone here dealt with similar BVA cases, historical precedents, or legal interpretations involving derivative foreign naturalization of children of German citizens before WWII?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.