eos Rechtsanwälte

Since September 2020, survivors of Nazi persecution and their descendants have been able to acquire Austrian citizenship in privileged citizenship proceedings – an overdue gesture of the Austrian parliament towards families who were forced to leave their homes in Austria between the 1930s and the 1950s.

Having helped hundreds of clients obtain Austrian citizenship in "section 58c" proceedings and contributed to leading case law in this area, we feel that this International Holocaust Remembrance Day also offers the opportunity to take stock and share our experiences.

While opening up a path to Austrian citizenship under section 58c does not even come close to compensating the affected families for the murderous injustice they suffered after their country embraced Nazi tyranny, our clients have often shared that receiving Austrian passports has helped them to come to terms with a family history of persecution.

Many say that the process allowed them to discover something new about their Austrian roots and, in some cases, to obtain closure.

Some of our clients have taken the opportunity of Austrian citizenship (and with it, EU citizenship) to relocate with their families to Austria, while others have exercised their right to free movement and relocated to other countries in the European Union.

The above provisions on Austrian citizenship are not perfect, which is why we regularly challenge negative citizenship decisions.

Despite all imperfections, Austria’s new rules have allowed for the granting of citizenship to thousands of Holocaust survivors and their descendants, and it has been our honour to have obtained Austrian citizenship for hundreds of clients.

If you have a family history of Nazi persecution in Austria and would like to obtain Austrian citizenship, reach out to us. Our experts will guide you through the process.