Hello there,
My Grandfather was German and he escaped to New York from the Nazis around 1940.
He was naturalized as a US Citizen in Feb 1945 so technically he should lose his German Citizenship, however because of Nirenberg laws he's entitled to regain his German Citizenship, hence my father and hence myself are entitled to get a German Citizenship through my grandfather.
Now this all sounds easy and fair, and yes, it is my grandFATHER, not grandMOTHER, so that's another good thing, but here comes the bad luck.

He was born in Berlin, and lived most of his life in Cologne.
The problem is that the Archive in Berlin was collapsed in 1946 or around, and guess what, the same happened with the Archive building in Cologne, it happened this year and there is no way of getting any records of his neither from Berlin nor from Cologne.

I did manage to get many of his documents from the USCIS in America, and I am working closely with a lawyer who's very helpful in this matter, but I am just trying to think what else can be done to prove his German Citizenship, as I understand this is my job to prove he was German citizen and I don't have that proof?

I do have:
- His Certificate of Naturalization in the US where he mentions his last nationality was German.
- Petition for Naturalization in the US where he also mentions his last nationality was German.
- I also have a document the lawyer managed to get called "Antrag: auf grund des Bundeserganzungsgesetzes zur Entschadigung fur Opfer der nationalsozialistichen Verolgung (BEG)" - and in this document it mentions: Staatsangehorigkeit: fruhere: deutsche (meaning previous nationality: German)
- I have his school records but the citizenship isn't being mentioned there.
- I also have his Police registration from Cologne, showing he had no criminal record, but again the citizenship isn't being mentioned there.
- I have documents showing he received compensations from the German govt. but again it doesn't prove his citizenship.
- I have his American Passport if it helps.
- I have his Birth Certificate from Berlin

I basically have a lot of documents on my grandfather, however I do not have his German Passport and I doubt if I could ever get it?
My question is, in that case, are my chances to get the German Citizenship through my grandfather are lost?

This is basically that I'm trying to find out, is that German Passport of his the only way to prove he was German Citizen and all those statements of his and all the papers from the US showing he clearly started his last nationality was German aren't helpful?

Do you know of any person or someone who can trace and get more records on my grandfather, discovering the real way of proving that he was a German citizen? I do have his brother's petition for naturalization for instance, it's showing the same, last nationality shows German, and clearly my great-grandfather was German too, I am just losing the way to show it and running out of hope that I would be able to get that Citizenship?

If you could help or advise I would be really greatful.
Thank you!

You are wasting your time with documentation for your grandfather. In order to obtain german citizenship, your mother or father had to be german citizens at the time of your birth.

tick

I don't understand why you are posting this info if you are working very closely with an Attorney. The Attorney doesn't know?

This is simple... Germany does not recognize dual citizenship. So after naturalization, your grandparent, your parents are no longer Germans. When you were born to American parents, you are American.

Sounds like you're screwed by your attorney...