Arnold Schwarzenegger: Austrian Citizenship Status Explained

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a dual citizen of the United States and Austria. He was born in Thal, a village near Graz, Austria, in 1947 and gained US citizenship in 1983. Austria does not usually allow dual citizenship, but Schwarzenegger was granted an exception.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a dual citizen of Austria and the US

Austria does not usually allow dual citizenship, but Schwarzenegger made a special request to the Austrian authorities to retain his Austrian citizenship before becoming a US citizen. This request was granted, and he holds Austrian citizenship by birth.

As a dual citizen, Schwarzenegger has been an activist for causes in both countries. In the US, he has promoted fitness and physical activity, serving as Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under President George H. W. Bush. He has also been an advocate for the Special Olympics and founded the Inner City Games Foundation, which provides cultural, educational, and community enrichment programming to youth across the US.

In Austria, Schwarzenegger has been a vocal supporter of the country's opposition to the death penalty. However, his refusal to block executions of convicted killers in California caused controversy, and some Austrian politicians called for his Austrian citizenship to be revoked. Schwarzenegger defended his position by stating that he had to "uphold the law of the land and the will of the people."

Austria does not usually allow dual citizenship but made an exception for Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a dual citizen of Austria and the United States. He was born in Thal, a small village near Graz, Austria, in 1947 and gained US citizenship in 1983. Austria does not usually allow dual citizenship, but Schwarzenegger was granted an exception to retain his Austrian citizenship.

Austria can decide whether to allow dual citizenship, and it typically requires individuals to renounce their Austrian citizenship if they acquire a new one. However, Schwarzenegger was permitted to keep his Austrian citizenship, likely due to his fame and status as one of Austria's most prominent figures. This exception caused some controversy, particularly regarding Schwarzenegger's support for the death penalty, which is illegal in Austria and Europe.

Despite the opposition, Schwarzenegger has maintained his connection to his birthplace. He has promoted fitness and bodybuilding, founded charitable organisations, and even married into the Kennedy family, further solidifying his prominence in both the US and Austria.

Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, a village near Graz, Austria

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, a village near Graz, Austria, on July 30, 1947. He is an Austrian-American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder. Schwarzenegger's birthplace, Thal, is a small village located just outside Graz, the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria.

As a child, Schwarzenegger enjoyed watching movies, particularly those starring bodybuilder Reg Park, which sparked his own interest in bodybuilding. He began weight training at the age of 15 and went on to win several bodybuilding competitions, including Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles. In 1968, at the age of 21, he immigrated to the United States, where he continued his bodybuilding career and gained widespread recognition.

In addition to his successful career in bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger ventured into Hollywood, landing roles in films such as "Hercules in New York" and "The Long Goodbye." He gained further prominence with his role in the 1982 film "Conan the Barbarian" and went on to star in numerous popular action movies, including "The Terminator" and "The Expendables."

Apart from his career in entertainment, Schwarzenegger also ventured into politics. He served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011, advocating for economic stability and environmental protection. Schwarzenegger holds dual citizenship in Austria and the United States, retaining his Austrian citizenship by birth and acquiring U.S. citizenship in 1983.

Schwarzenegger became a US citizen in 1983 or 1984

Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor, businessman, former professional bodybuilder, and politician. He is regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time.

Born in Austria in 1947, Schwarzenegger moved to the US in 1968 for his bodybuilding training. He went on to win the Mr. Olympia title in 1970 and subsequently claimed six more. He also started his acting career around the same time, with his breakthrough role in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian.

After living in the US for 15 years, Schwarzenegger received his US citizenship in 1983. He had to renounce his Austrian citizenship to become a US citizen, as Austria does not usually allow dual citizenship. However, he requested the Austrian authorities to let him keep his Austrian citizenship, and his request was granted. This was a special exception, as he was the most famous living Austrian at the time.

On September 17, 1983, Schwarzenegger became a naturalized US citizen. He gained US citizenship after living in the country for the required 15 years. He had come to the US from Graz, Austria, in 1969 to study weight training and bodybuilding.

In a ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium, Schwarzenegger said:

> I really am convinced, after traveling all over the world and having seen all the places there are to see, that this country is the No. 1 in the world.

He also added:

> This is the realization of the dream I have had ever since my childhood, to come to America and become an American.

Schwarzenegger has been criticised by some Austrians for his stance on the death penalty

Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder. He served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Schwarzenegger is a dual citizen of Austria and the United States. While Austria does not usually allow dual citizenship, Schwarzenegger was granted an exception when he became a US citizen in 1983.

As governor, Schwarzenegger denied clemency to Stanley "Tookie" Williams, a former gang leader and convicted murderer, clearing the way for Williams' execution in 2005. Schwarzenegger's decision was criticised by some, including anti-death penalty campaigner Todd Chretien, who called it "racist and immoral". Chretien further stated that Schwarzenegger's decision "confirms the racism of the death penalty and sends a message to young Latino and African-American people that the governor and the attorney general do not care about them".

In response to the criticism, Schwarzenegger defended his decision by citing Williams' refusal to apologise for the 1979 murders, which he always maintained he did not commit. Schwarzenegger wrote in his published decision: "Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings there can be no redemption". He further questioned the validity of Williams' redemption, arguing that, as a co-founder of the Crips street gang, he was responsible for the deaths caused by gang violence.

Schwarzenegger's stance on the death penalty, particularly his decision to deny clemency to Williams, has been a source of criticism not only in the United States but also in his native Austria. In 2005, Peter Pilz, a member of the Austrian Parliament from the Austrian Green Party, advocated for the revocation of Schwarzenegger's Austrian citizenship under Article 33 of the Austrian Citizenship Act. Pilz argued that Schwarzenegger's decision not to intervene in the executions of Williams and another inmate, Donald Beardslee, had damaged the reputation and interests of Austria, which had abolished the death penalty in 1968.

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