Oh.. and when I was wondering about getting some kinda EU citizenship.....
https://www.euronews.com/2019/09/20/austria-to-grant-citizenship-to-descendants-of-victims-of-nazism
There is a very high chance I would qualify for that. (As would my Mother, Sister, and Brother.)
@cm First I'll need to see the law to know if I'm eligible. My great grandparents DID come from Austria-Hungary, and Austria in particular.
@Surasanji The most official source I can find ATM is https://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/PR/JAHR_2019/PK0918/index.shtml , no trace of the law itself yet. Should come into effect in September of 2020, and IKG (link in one of my last toots) would probably either be the people to assist you or point you to an organisation that helps you.
@cm For sure. I'll need to know what I need to show, when the cut off times are for leaving Austria-Hungry are and whatnot. It's certainly the best chance I have to just suddenly become a citizen of another country in the EU
@cm That is pretty helpful, the language certainly gives me hope- based on the translation, at least.
@Surasanji I don't know how well google translate works with that type of texts, so: cutoff date is 1955; I've read elsewhere about "parents or grandparents", but that text only says "ancestors" (adopted children are also recognized); ancestors may have been citizens of any of the former Austrian empire member states, but their primary residence (not sure at what point in time) must have been inside the current austrian borders. Also, they must not have been convicted of serious crimes.
@cm Cool. I'm looking for more the earlier cut off. A lot of my family left right before things got really bad.
@Surasanji The current version of the law (still haven't found the new text) says they have to have left to escape the third reich, which probably means if they left after the reich annexed Austria in '39 that'd be OK. (https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=10005579 §58c)
@Surasanji wait, here's the change that started this discussion: https://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/VHG/XXVI/BNR/BNR_00235/fname_767409.pdf
TLDR: the earlier cutoff has not changed.
@cm I have to check exactly when they left, but I think it was before 39. My family fled when they saw the way the wind was blowing.
@Surasanji The law says NSDAP and Third Reich, but there was an illegal branch of the NSDAP in Austria before the annexion. You'd have to talk to people involved in the matter so see how cases such as yours are handled...
@Surasanji Again, IKG are probably the right people to talk to: http://www.restitution.or.at/schwerpunkte/s-anliegen-staatsbuergerschaft_e.html (but that page doesn't yet take the latest change in the law into account).
@Surasanji Yes, I thought of your recent toots when I read the news. Let me know if I can help (like if you're trying to make sense of the Austrian bureaucracy or need a translation)