In the 19th century and early 20th century, many Americans, numbering perhaps in the thousands, were drawn to European cultural centers, especially Munich and Paris. The author Henry James, for instance, adopted England as his home while Ernest Hemingwaylived in Paris.
The term 'expatriate' in some countries also has a legal context used for tax purposes. An expatriate living in a country can receive a favourable tax treatment. In this context a person can only be an expatriate if they move to a country other than their own to work with the intent of returning to their home country within a certain period. The number of years can vary per tax jurisdiction, but 5 years is the most commonly used maximum period. If you are not affected by taxes 3 years is normally the maximum time spent in one country.[clarification needed]
During the Nazi era, the German government deprived many left-wing and intellectual opponents of citizenship through expatriation, such as Albert Einstein, Oskar Maria Graf, Willy Brandt and Thomas Mann,