# Granddaughter of Holocaust Refugee Relocates to Berlin After Dual

**Published:** 2021-04-18T07:00:00.000Z  
**Topic:** How Americans Caught Gold Fever Again  
**Sentiment:** neutral  
**Publisher:** TrendWatcher — https://www.trendwatcher.in/article/3a7e2201-54a8-4920-9b9c-cd210f317623

Laura Moser, whose grandfather fled Nazi Berlin, moves with her family to Berlin, exploring heritage and German social benefits after gaining citizenship.

The New Yorker profile recounts how Laura Moser, a former Texas congressional candidate and author, and her husband navigated pandemic‑era travel restrictions to settle in Berlin, the city her grandfather escaped from in 1938 [1]. Moser’s move follows a decade‑long process of reclaiming German citizenship that began after her family restored his nationality in 1999 [1].

**Key takeaways**  
- Moser’s paternal grandfather fled Berlin for the United States just weeks before Kristallnacht, later becoming a German citizen in 1999 [1].  
- After obtaining a German passport, Moser and her husband faced COVID‑related visa hurdles before finally entering the Netherlands and then Germany [1].  
- In April 2020, Moser and her family officially relocated to Berlin, citing the city’s universal health care and affordable living as major draws [2].  
- Moser’s background includes a career in journalism, a 2005 biography of Bette Davis, and a 2018 congressional run in Texas’s 7th district [2].  

## From Houston to Berlin: a transatlantic odyssey  

Moser’s story begins with her grandfather’s desperate escape from Nazi Germany. In September 1938, a schoolmate‑turned‑Nazi urged him to board the first train to Amsterdam, a decision that saved his life and led him to the United States, where he eventually settled in Houston [1]. Decades later, after German authorities began restoring citizenship to descendants of denaturalized Jews, Moser secured a German passport in 1999, a “gift” she accepted at twenty‑one but never felt culturally German [1].  

When the COVID‑19 pandemic shut European borders, Moser and her husband encountered a series of immigration snags. Their U.S. passport was initially rejected for lacking a visa, prompting Moser to present a marriage certificate to prove eligibility for her husband as an immediate family member of an EU citizen [1]. After multiple checks in Houston, Amsterdam, and a brief stay in Utrecht, they finally crossed into Germany, where Moser’s husband obtained a visa on arrival [1].  

## Choosing Berlin over other European capitals  

The decision to settle in Berlin rather than Paris or Lisbon stemmed from a mix of practical and emotional factors. Berlin offered lower housing costs, free university tuition, and universal health care—crucial for Moser’s husband, who requires expensive ulcerative colitis medication [1]. Moreover, the city’s historical connection to her grandfather’s departure gave the move a symbolic resonance, despite lingering “bad associations” among some of her Jewish acquaintances [1].  

Moser’s relocation in April 2020 aligns with her broader public profile: a former congressional candidate, founder of the anti‑Trump Daily Action network, and contributor to major publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal [2]. Her move underscores a personal shift from American political activism to a European lifestyle anchored in family history.  

## Why it matters  

Moser’s journey illustrates how descendants of Holocaust refugees are reclaiming ties to Germany through restored citizenship, navigating modern bureaucratic hurdles, and reshaping personal narratives around heritage and social welfare. Her relocation also highlights the appeal of Germany’s health‑care system for families facing high medical costs in the United States. As more dual‑citizenship holders consider similar moves, the interplay between historical memory and contemporary policy will continue to influence transatlantic migration patterns.

## Sources
1. Newyorker — [My Grandfather Fled the Nazis. I Moved to His Old Neighborhood](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/my-grandfather-fled-the-nazis-i-moved-to-his-old-neighborhood)
2. Wikipedia — [Laura Moser - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Moser)

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Cite as: TrendWatcher, "Granddaughter of Holocaust Refugee Relocates to Berlin After Dual", https://www.trendwatcher.in/article/3a7e2201-54a8-4920-9b9c-cd210f317623