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Why did Paul Klee apply for Swiss citizenship late in his life?
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Paul Klee applied for Swiss citizenship late in his life primarily due to the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany. Although Klee was born in Switzerland, he held German citizenship and had built his career in Germany.
When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, the political climate in Germany became hostile toward modern artists. Klee was dismissed from his teaching position at the DĆ¼sseldorf Academy, and his home and studio were searched by the Gestapo due to his known left-wing sympathies. Facing these dangers and the impossibility of continuing his work in Germany, Klee emigrated to Switzerland at the end of 1933 to seek safety and artistic freedom.1