In a message dated 8/8/03 1:17:44 PM, glmorey@earthlink.net writes: << I'm just getting started in Germany and have found the marriage for my 4Great Grandparents. It list my grandfather as a recent citizen. What is the significance of this? Is there a certain age they become citizens? Or do they become citizens when marrying? >> Before 1906 the rules about naturalization were different than they are now. Your grandfather would have had to apply for naturalization after a certain period of time in this country, and wait for five years after his entry to obtain it. Marrying a woman who was a citizen of the U.S. at that time made her a non-citizen, and did not help him at all. If your ancestor was a recent citizen, then he'd probably have been in the U.S. for a number of years before his marriage. Unless, of course, the word "citizen" was not referring to his legal status but merely to his residence in the given place. See the following site for a good summary of the laws during this time period: http://www.cip.umd.edu/~mddlmddl/791/legal/html/immi1800.html Dona Ritchie