Story: Citizenship

Gustav Kronfeld, ‘enemy alien’

Gustav Kronfeld, ‘enemy alien’

During the First World War some people of German descent who were living in New Zealand – even some who had been naturalised – were interned as ‘enemy aliens’. Businessman Gustav Kronfeld (seated, centre), though naturalised in 1893, came under suspicion because of his German birth and was imprisoned. He wrote to the minister of justice because being declared an enemy alien was a source of great worry to him. He was particularly concerned that his children who had been born in Samoa of his Samoan wife Louisa (seated, left) might be deprived of the privileges of British nationality.

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Auckland City Libraries - Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero
Reference: 31-57402
Photograph by Herman John Schmidt

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

David Green, 'Citizenship - Towards New Zealand citizenship', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/944/gustav-kronfeld-enemy-alien (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by David Green, published 8 Feb 2005