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In the post-war period of Germany, before the Wall was built in 1961, many people crossed the border between East and West. Later on, this was obviously not possible anymore, as the GDR famously started trying to prevent its citizens to leave the country.

Angela Merkel, is an example of a person born in the West to West German parents whose family moved to East Germany in '54. At this point, what citizenship would her parents and her have had? Were they West-German citizens, or was Germany still in some kind of limbo-state where there was no difference between West/East-citizenship?

At what point would they have become East Germans and how would that have related to their being prevented from leaving the country? Was there a certain date on which wherever a person lived decided which country would claim them as citizens? Would Merkel and her family possibly have been able to easily move West again, because they were still West German citizens even after the GDR closed down, or did they become East Germans at some point, "locking" them in the country?

JMC
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    @MCW The main reason is that it should not have been closed in the first place. The linked question has no accepted answer (for good reasons) and the question itsself is about the citizenship status when reaching west Germany, whereby this question asks about the citizenship status when in east Germany. – Mark Johnson Aug 30 '23 at 09:44

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Were they West-German citizens, or was Germany still in some kind of limbo-state where there was no difference between West/East-citizenship?

There was never a West-German citizenship.

Before 1913, citizenship was based on the provisions of the North German Confederation citizenship law of 1870.

Until 2000-01-01, German citizenship was based on the Reichs- und Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz of 1913, when the Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG) was then introduced.

Until 1934-02-05, German citizenship (first introduced in 1870) was based on the citizenship of a German federal state. (Similar in nature to the European Union citizenship today) The state citizenship was abolished and replaced with a single citizenship.

The first GDR constitution of 1949 (valid until 1968) recognised the uniform German citizenship.

A DDR (GDR, East German) citizenship was introduced in 1967.

At this point [1954], what citizenship would her parents and her have had?

German citizenship.

At what point would they have become East Germans

1967-02-20

Would Merkel and her family possibly have been able to easily move West again, because they were still West German citizens even after the GDR closed down

There was no general rule for this.

It is known that many people who (often for ideological reasons), even after 1961, had moved to East Germany were allowed to return if they became dissatisfied with the realities of everyday life.

and how would that have related to their being prevented from leaving the country?

After 1967, §13 StBüG allowed for the citizenship to be revoked for gross violation of civic duties.

This method was often used for the removal of antisozialistischer Elemente (anti-socialist elements). Wolf Biermann is a well known sample of how this was used even against the will of the person concerned.

So on 1967-02-20, every German citizen who had their primary residence in the territory of the GDR was from then on considered a citizen of the GDR by the GDR?

In German there are 2 different terms, which when translated into English often use the same word (Citizen).

The opposite page of the 1954 ID Card contains:

  • Bürger der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik
    • Citizen of the German Democratic Republic
  • für Deutsche Staatsangehörige
    • for German Citizens

Did the FRG recognize this [GDR Citizenship] in any way

The Federal Republic never recognized it as a separate citizenship. They did recognized the issued documents (ID card or later passport), but treated them as German citizens.

or did they still claim them as citizens, too?

The Federal Republic recognized their right, based on Artical 116 of the Basic Law, to claim German citizenship.

This lead to the situation that after entering the Federal territory (West Germany), they could be issued a (West) German passport and travel on to other countries. To avoid problems when returning to East Germany, that passport could be returned/deposited for future use.

When did it become safe for Westerners to visit the East without risking being trapped there just like any Easterner would have been?

Until 1968-06-13 a passport was not required for for 'Westerners'. They traveled, where it was possible, with their ID cards (Personalausweis).

1953 ID (West) 1954 ID (East), page 1

Due to the separate type of documents it was easy to determine who came from the West and who came from the East.

On 1968-06-13, the Passport and Visa requirement was introduced with the goal of treating people from Western Germany as foreigners.

1975 Visa in passport 1954 ID (East), page 0

Sources:

CGCampbell
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Mark Johnson
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  • So on 1967-02-20, every German citizen who had their primary residence in the territory of the GDR was from then on considered a citizen of the GDR by the GDR? Did the FRG recognize this in any way or did they still claim them as citizens, too? – JMC Aug 31 '23 at 00:57
  • When did it become safe for Westerners to visit the East without risking being trapped there just like any Easterner would have been? After 1967, did visiting Westerners start to be officially legally "privileged" and treated like tourists who were free to go home? – JMC Aug 31 '23 at 01:11
  • @JMC I have integrated your questions into the answer. – Mark Johnson Aug 31 '23 at 05:47
  • It might be noted that Wolf Biermann (like Merkel) was born in Hamburg and that this played an important role in the justification of his reentry ban. – Jan Aug 31 '23 at 06:02
  • @Jan Jürgen Fuchs, Roland Jahn, Vera Lengsfeld, Frank-Wolf Matthies suffered the same fate and they did not come from Western Germany so that is not true. The Politbüros decision of 1976-11-16 was based on §13 StBüG (gross violation of civic duties) and not based on the fact that he was born in Hamburg. – Mark Johnson Aug 31 '23 at 07:19
  • @MarkJohnson It is true that Biermann grew up in Hamburg and it is also true that East German media used this as justification for not letting him enter East Germany again: "Die zuständigen Behörden der DDR haben Wolf Biermann, der 1953 aus Hamburg in die DDR übersiedelte, das Recht auf weiteren Aufenthalt in der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik entzogen." – Jan Aug 31 '23 at 07:47
  • Since the only example you give in the answer is Wolf Biermann, I think this is also relevant (besides being true). And it shows a certain degree of flexibility (or rather, selectiveness) when applying the citizenship law. – Jan Aug 31 '23 at 07:49
  • @Jan And the next paragraph of the ADN report says: Diese Entscheidung wurde auf Grund des "Gesetzes über die Staatsbürgerschaft der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik - Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz von 20, Februar 1967", §13, nach dem "Bürgern wegen grober Verletzung der staatsbürgerlichen Pflichten die Staatsbürgerschaft der DDR aberkannt werden kann", gefaẞt. – Mark Johnson Aug 31 '23 at 08:57
  • @Jan The degree of flexibility is more in the interpretation of what is considered to be a gross violation of civic duties. – Mark Johnson Aug 31 '23 at 09:03