Naturalisation of Metz family
On this day, Theodor Metz and his family became Dutch citizens. Metz was partly of Dutch descent. He was fluent in the language and had worked in Dutch-German trade for many years.
A few years after their arrival in 1933, the family applied for Dutch nationality. The usual procedure for this always took several years. When the first steps were taken is not exactly known, but on 26 May 1939 the Upper House of the Dutch parliament passed the relevant bill that made Metz, his wife, daughter and son Dutch citizens. In all, 278 applicants, along with an unknown number of family members, obtained Dutch nationality by law that day.[1]
In autumn 1940, Metz worried that his naturalisation could be undone because of the German occupation. He contacted a senior official who brought Metz's fears to the attention of secretary-general Hans Hirschfeld.[2]