With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

German citizenship is put to test

Germany has introduced a new multiple-choice citizenship test that every immigrant has to pass to gain a German passport.

Across the country, schools and adult education centres have already started offering citizenship classes.

As well as taking the test - introduced on 1 September - migrants must fulfil other conditions such as having sufficient command of the German language, no criminal record and an income independent of social welfare At a school in Berlin's Reinickendorf district, a few immigrants have gathered in a large classroom.

A German flag hangs on the wall, and a teacher has written some of the questions on the blackboard: Who was the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany? What is the German constitution called? What is the emblem of Germany? What kind of a state is Germany? When were the Nazis and Hitler in power? When did the Second World War end? The immigrants - who have come to Germany from Chechnya, Pakistan and Turkey - would all like to get a German passport, but first they have to do their homework and learn as much as they can about German politics, history and culture.

Read entire article at BBC