Naturalizations have risen 128 per cent in three years, though applicants still face long waits. City officials say they can begin reducing the backlog.
A total of 620 Potsdam residents have received German citizenship since the start of 2026, city spokesperson Juliane Güldner said. The number was 435 over the same period last year and 272 in 2023, a 128 per cent increase in three years.
Despite the rise in completed applications, waiting times for citizenship remain long. Potsdam’s integration commissioner, Amanda Palenberg, told Tagesspiegel that the city can for the first time begin working through its backlog.
The figures count people granted citizenship since the start of each year, not applications received. The available report excerpt does not give the waiting-time length or the size of the backlog.