German grandmother married possibly Polish grandfather in 1922
Hi all — I’m trying to clarify a historical German nationality issue from the early 1920s, mainly to understand the nationality of a child born in Germany in 1924.
Grandmother (BP)
Born in Chemnitz, Saxony in May 1887.
Parents were German from Saxony/Berlin.
Grandfather (PW)
Born in Szczuczyn / Łomża region in April 1888.
Moved to Chemnitz in 1920.
Marriage in Cheb (formerly Eger, Bohemia) in February 1922. Nationality not shown on Marriage Certificate/entry in the register.
Mother (EW)
Born in wedlock in Chemnitz in July 1924.
Birth records do not confirm nationality.
Residency requirement satisfied:
BP+PW+EW Domiciled in Chemnitz until fleeing Germany in 1939 to Belgium.
The key questions I’m trying to answer are:
Given the grandfather’s origin in the Szczuczyn / Łomża region, would he likely have become Polish under the 1920 Polish Citizenship Act?
If he was Polish in February 1922, would his German-born wife have automatically lost German citizenship by marrying a foreign man under German nationality law (Old RuStAG?) at the time?
If the grandmother did lose German citizenship via marriage, what nationality would she likely have had afterwards — Polish, stateless, or something else?
If she lost German citizenship, how could she still have remained legally domiciled in Chemnitz at her family home until the family fled? Was continued residence in Germany possible despite loss of German citizenship?
For the daughter born in wedlock in Germany in July 1924, would nationality have followed the father, meaning she may have been Polish rather than German?
Since the marriage and birth records do not state nationality, what records would be most helpful in clarifying the nationality of the Father?
I understand this case is clearly falling within StAG 15, but BVA are hitting a wall given they need to clarify potential treatment as an Article 116(2) GG case. If the Mother was German at birth then she would have had her nationality stripped due to Elfte Verordnung (which would mean this is a clear 116(2) GG case).
Thanks!!