Donald Trump's grandfather was banished from Germany, records reveal

President-elect's relative pleaded to stay in the country — but was refused

Republican property tycoon's grandfather allegedly made his fortune running a brothel (Getty)

Donald Trump’s German grandfather was ordered by royal decree to leave the country and never return, according to recently unearthed documents.

Historian Roland Paul unearthed a nondescript letter, sent to Mr Trump’s German-born grandfather Friedrich Trump in 1904, that ordered him to leave the kingdom of Bavaria within eight weeks.

He was told to leave as punishment for failing to do mandatory military service and for not telling authorities when he first emigrated to the US.

Mr Paul, who found the document in local archives in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, told German tabloid Bild: “Friedrich Trump emigrated from Germany to the US in 1885.

“But he did so without formally deregistering and before doing his military service. That's why the authorities denied him repatriation in 1905.“

Mr Trump left Germany at the age of 16, with few possessions, to find prosperity in the gold rush.

He started working as a barber in the US, before going on to run a restaurant, bar and allegedly even a brothel — enterprises that made him wealthy.

He returned to the vilage of Kallstadt with his fortune in 1901 and met his future wife Elisabeth Christ. The two married and moved to New York, but returned to Kallstadt two years later, after Elisabeth said she was homesick.

The decree orders “American citizen and pensioner Friedrich Trump” to leave the area “at the very latest on 1 May [...] or else expect to be deported”.

Mr Trump wrote to the Bavarian Prince Luitpold begging the “well-loved, noble, wise and just” leader not to deport him.

Yet Luitpold rejected the “most subservient request" and the couple left Germany for New York with their daughter.

Elizabeth was three months pregnant with the future President's father, Fred.

The royal order telling Mr Trump's grandfather to leave was written on an “unspectacular piece of paper”, Bild reported, but it “changed world history”.