Eligibility under Section 15 StAG (No. 2) for ancestor from Lodz / Warthegau?
Hi everyone,
I'm trying to figure out our eligibility under Section 15 StAG, specifically Sentence 1, No. 2, and wanted to see if anyone here has successfully processed a similar case.
Here are the details:
My grandfather was born in Lodz, Poland in 1930. He and his family were Polish Jews. When WWII started, Lodz was directly annexed into the German Reich (as part of the Warthegau). They were forced into the Lodz Ghetto and survived the Holocaust.
We have really good documentation: proof of residence in Lodz, ghetto records, and we actually have a German compensation case file (Wiedergutmachungsakte) from after the war.
My understanding is that since Lodz was annexed, people living there were subject to collective naturalization, but Jews were obviously excluded based on race. This should theoretically put him right under Section 15, No. 2.
The thing is, I’ve seen some confusing comments online. Some people claim that because he was ethnically Polish/Jewish and not ethnically German (Volksdeutsche), Section 15 No. 2 doesn't apply to him. But from what I read about the BVA guidelines, that requirement for German ethnicity was dropped for people from the annexed territories who were excluded due to persecution.
Has anyone here with a similar background (Polish Jews from the Warthegau / Lodz area) actually gotten their citizenship approved under this specific sub-section? Also, did having an existing Wiedergutmachung file help speed things up with the BVA?
Would love to hear about your experiences or timelines. Thanks!