In the nineteenth century the Germans weren’t unified until the end of the century. They came from states such as Prussia, Hanover, and Bavaria. In those days when they moved from one place to the other naturally they had to check in with local registries in each town and city. The tradition continued after Germany was unified.

Perhaps the Nazis used the census and local registries to track immigrant populations that they considered suspect. But the whole tradition started before and continued after that time.

Left-wing parties may latch onto it as a point of protest. Just as they did in 1983, they’re trying to start protest movements against the census that tracks their ethnicity and where they live. What business does the government have intruding upon your privacy they ask? But let’s be clear. It’s not the National Socialists who are doing this. It’s not the Gestapo or the SS. It’s just an old, hoary tradition.

P.S. It’s also the modern world. The protestors don’t like Facebook face recognition software or Google maps street view either. But really they need to find out if there are 81.8 million people in Germany or not.