German citizenship after 1871

hannover-l
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My apologies to Network membersfor addressing this query in English.

My grandfather(Alfred Edgar NIBLETT, 1888-1973) was one of 11 children– all born in Osnabrueck - of an English father (Charles James Niblett,1851-1927) and a German mother (Anna KarolineNiblett, nee BORSTELMANN (1853-1938). They married in Elze, Hannover, in 1873. She was born in either Elze or Glocksee (the official records differ).

I should be gratefulif anyone could advise me on the civilian statusof Anna Karoline Niblett after her marriage, as I have come across different interpretations of this.

I have read that, afterGerman unification in 1871, Bismarck passed a law that meant that anyonemarrying a foreigner automatically lost his/her German citizenship.

However, Wikipediastates that citizenship was determined by the State in which one was born -rather than at the federal level - until the Nationality Law of 1913.

Separately, I amaware that one of my grandfather’s sisters was naturalised in 1914. I assume that this meant that either shechanged from English to German citizenship or took on dual nationality (if,indeed, the latter were possible at that time).

John Rigg

Glasgow, UK

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I should be gratefulfor any advice that Network members might be able to give me on following upthe subsequent families of the FROEMBLING/NIBLETT and FREMDLING/NIBLETTmarriages in Niedersachsen at the turn of the last century.

· SelinaAnna Catharine (“Annette”) NIBLETT (1875-1959) married Christian Eduard HenningFROEMBLING (1873-before 1959) in Osnabruck in 1899.

· TheresaMarie NIBLETT (1883-1965) married Georg Ernst Wilhelm FREMDLING (1879-before1965) in Osnabruck in 1913.

The Niblett sisterswere two of the 11 children - born in Osnabruck between 1874 and 1893 – of CharlesJames NIBLETT (1851-1927) and Anna KarolineNiblett, nee BORSTELMANN, (1853-1938), who were married in Elze, Hannover, in1873.

Charles was anEnglishman and his children had English nationality.

I am aware that thereare restrictions on access to 20th Century birth/marriage/deathrecords. However, any suggestions on howto research these families in this period would be appreciated.

John Rigg

Glasgow, UK

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