Restoring Austrian citizenship to a large number of descendants of Nazi victims has proven to be another ground-breaking move made possible by the 2020 amendment of the nation’s citizenship law.

In order to obtain Austria’s passport, more than 26,000 relatives of Nazi victims have effectively reclaimed their Austrian citizenship, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg.

The group’s reinstatement of Austrian citizenship was mainly made possible by Austria’s consulates, embassies, and cultural forums across the globe. Speaking about the large number of descendants who have been granted citizenship again, Minister Schallenberg said that every person is a contribution to Austria.

These statements were made at the launch of the recently released book, “Us and Austria – Austria and us.” In this publication, the stories of fifteen descendants of National Socialism victims who were able to effectively regain their Austrian citizenship due to revisions in the citizenship law are presented.

In September 2023, Austria commemorated three years after easing its citizenship requirements for the descendants of victims of Nazi persecution. As a gesture of recognition for its historical role, Austria made it easier for the heirs of Nazi victims to become citizens.

Minister Schallenberg disclosed at the time of the announcement that a sizable number of qualified candidates had submitted applications for citizenship. He underlined Austria’s objective of creating a feeling of community for this demographic and stressed that the growing number of applications is an indication of confidence in the nation.

Currently, over 400 new inquiries about citizenship are sent to Austrian missions overseas each month.