Nationality in the eye of the beholder
Shaping modern Western European notions of nationality
Claudia Kreklau: claudia.kreklau@gmail.com
Dr. Christoph Mick, Department of History
1. What is nationality?
Britain
Germany
In
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.
France
Spain
In
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.
Nationbuilding
Throughout, Germans
argued for their nationhood
based on culture and blood.
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.
Regimes
Under authoritarian
rule, both German and
Spanish dictionaries
emphasised the
importance of ancestry
and race (Germany) in
natonality.
Immigration
German NS rule
ended in 1945,
however in
Spain, Franco
carried on until
1975 and
influenced
generations.
In
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.
In
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.
2. Why do these four
countries understand
nationality so differently?
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 Ultremerfar away, yet undoubtedtly
France. An inclusive definition?
For both France and Britain,
colonial subjects long remained
second class citizens.
Colonial experience
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.
Intellectual movements
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 the
notion of Britishness
for the first time.
'Am I not a man and a brother?' (Motto
of the Abolitionist movement)
3. Concluding
Remarks on…
… my Argument
Spain 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.
…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.