The Politics of Citizenship in Germany Ethnicity, Utility and Nationalism

Why did German states make it so difficult for foreigners who were not ethnic Germans to become citizens? Was this policy a product of national feeling, and was it shaped by the more state-centered goals of the political elite? Did Nazi citizenship policies perpetuate, or break with, actions of earlier German states? Because Germans felt a cultural attachment to other ethnic Germans, it has traditionally been argued, German states welcomed immigration of ethnic Germans and prevented naturalization of "foreign" individuals. But ethnicity was, in reality, far from the only criteria employed to distinguish desirable from undesirable citizens. Nathans shows that appeals to ethnic solidarity often masked more political objectives. Other factors included German states' efforts to improve society; changing conceptions of utility; the personality and political aims of Bismarck; the world wars and anti-Semitism. While other authors have stressed consensus within German society, this account focuses on conflict.

Eli Nathans is Visiting Assistant Professor, History Department, Ball State University.