Germany considers granting Donald Trump honorary citizenship for rescuing hostages

Digital Desk

Germany’s right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has proposed granting honorary citizenship of the Bad Dürkheim district to former US President Donald Trump, citing his role in helping secure the release of eight German and eight Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity. A decision on the proposal is expected on October 29.

AfD local leader Thomas Stephan said Trump’s efforts to end the Israel-Gaza conflict and free hostages merit special recognition. The proposal also notes Trump’s German roots—his grandfather Friedrich Trump, a barber by trade, hailed from Kallstadt village in Bad Dürkheim before emigrating to the United States.

District Administrator Hans-Ulrich said the council would carefully review the criteria for honorary citizenship before making a decision. The move has stirred debate, with critics suggesting it may be symbolic or politically motivated, though it has drawn renewed attention to Trump’s ancestral connection to the region.

Trump’s German ancestry

Friedrich Trump left Germany at age 16 to avoid compulsory military service and arrived in New York in 1885. After working as a barber, he invested in Alaskan gold mines, amassing considerable wealth.

In 1902, he returned to Germany and married Elisabeth Christ, but was later expelled for evading military service and allegedly committing stamp fraud. The couple moved back to New York, where their son Fred Trump was born in 1905.

Fred went on to build a thriving real estate business in Brooklyn and Queens, later founding Elizabeth Trump & Son in 1927. His success laid the foundation for the Trump family’s fortune. Fred’s son, Donald Trump, would go on to expand the business empire globally and become one of the most recognized figures in modern politics.