Regimes

Nationality in the eye of the beholder

Claudia Kreklau: claudia.kreklau@gmail.com

Nationbuilding

Shaping modern Western European notions of nationality

Dr. Christoph Mick, Department of History

In Spain Nationality is slowly being redefined as citizenship, however similar to the situation in Germany, an attitude remains that to be Spanish means to have Spanish ancestry. Citizenship can be acquired after ten years residence.

In Germany an attitude remains that nationality is a hereditary identity, meaning to belong to the German nation through blood and ancestry. Judicially, citizenship can be gained by naturalisation (after eight years residence) however the two terms differ.

In France the word nationality is interchangeable with citizenship, and the state maintains measures to keep it that way. Citizenship can be acquired after five years residence.

In Britain nationality can also be defined as citizenship: the judicial status of belonging to a nation. Practically anyone can acquire British nationality after five years residence.

Immigration

…and a 'Thank you'To those who helped me through this experience: thank you so much. Particularly to my parents for their continued support and faith in me, to Christoph Mick for his readiness to supervise me, to Anne Gerritsen for her inspiration and advice, and to the staff of the Spanish National Library for their wonderful support.

Protests for a united Germany began in the eighteen hundreds. Germany (without Austria) was united in 1871, but divided again after the Second World War. A stable and lasting Germany was not created until 1990.

Under authoritarian rule, both German and Spanish dictionaries emphasised the importance of ancestry and race (Germany) in natonality.

German NS rule ended in 1945, however in Spain, Franco carried on until 1975 and influenced generations.

France and Great Britain experienced earlier immigration than Germany or Spain, particularly from their former colonies. In reaction France practiced social inclusion and secularised the country and Britain became more open toward multiculturalism to integrate the new citizens.

In contrast, Germany‘s first immigrants were the so called 'Guestworkers' expected to leave after a few years, while Spain‘s first significant influx of immigrantion only occured in recent years.

Throughout, Germans argued for their nationhood based on culture and blood.

Colonial experience

Intellectual movements

'Am I not a man and a brother?' (Motto of the Abolitionist movement)

Meanwhile, Germany lacked a significant colonial experience

Spain lost most colonies by 1898, giving rise to nostalgia and a turning inward. France and Britain retained their colonies for longer. France called Algeria France Ultremer- far away, yet undoubtedtly France. An inclusive definition? For both France and Britain, colonial subjects long remained second class citizens.

Among those movements to extend equal rights to all British citizens were intellectual movements. An early one in England includes the Quaker and Christian Abolitionist movement throughout the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century which questioned thenotion of Britishnessfor the first time.

… my ArgumentSpain and Germany are still holding on to a more 'antiquated ' notion of nationality which emphasises blood of descent. However, both are experiencing pressure to change that notion. They live in a state-system ruled by the winners of the Second World War, where the USA‘s, Britain‘s and France‘s more liberal notion of nationality meaning citizenship continues to prevail.

… my research-experience…I began the URSS project with two ideas in mind: to communicate an idea which had been in my mind for years, and to find out what research was like before embarking on a PhD. Now that this idea has been expressed in this project, I am still sure of my ambition to continue further research at PhD level having a better idea of what awaits me.

1. What is nationality?

2. Why do these four countries understand

nationality so differently?

3. Concluding Remarks on…