Alexander Vakalopoulos,DKiG Holder

[Franek Grabowski]

Nationality is a matter of self identification and cannot be a subject of regulations. I knew a guy born in Brasil to Polish parents, and who later migrated to Canada. He visited Poland for the first time in his life several years after the war, and still he spoke perfect Polish with no trace of accent. He considered himself Polish and served Polish Air Force during the war. There are several people, who live abroad and not in their country or even do not have their country, but keep their identification, despite having another citizenship, which often is a necessity and not a choice.

[VtwinVince]

Indeed, now you're getting into the finer points of ethnicity versus nationality.

[edwest2]

I think the only point to consider is ethnicity. If one parent was Irish and the other English then you are Irish-English regardless of where you were born.

[VtwinVince]

I would agree with that, Ed. However, what about groups such as the Gastarbeiter Turks in Germany? Ethnic Turks, born there, who are probably more 'German' than ethnic Germans.

[Nick Beale]

Getting increasingly off-topic here.

[VtwinVince]

Not really, the original question was the ethnicity of a Greek-name-sounding German, which is what we're discussing.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by VtwinVince

Not really, the original question was the ethnicity of a Greek-name-sounding German, which is what we're discussing.

The only question here is whether this airman was, in the eyes of the German state either Reichsdeutsch, in one of the Volksdeutsch categories or a foreign volunteer. How any of us now feels about nationality has no bearing on that historical position.

[VtwinVince]

Aha, that is certainly true.

[Franek Grabowski]

AFAIK only German citizens could serve in Wehrmacht, hence foreigners served in Waffen SS.
The question was about identity of people originating or living in Central Europe, and simply you do not understand how complicated the issue is and was due to rather turbulent history. It was not uncommon here to have people of the same ethnicity (siblings) declaring different nationality regardless of citizenship held.

[VtwinVince]

Not sure if your comment is directed at me, but I can assure you that I am no newcomer to the study of such matters.