Expulsion area Demographic estimates of the flight and expulsion of Germans

covered wagon, brunswick national museum

between 1944–50, 12 million ethnic germans had fled or expelled east-central europe. 1951 1982 additional 1.1 million persons of german ancestry emigrated east-central europe germany. in eyes of german law there total of 16 million expellees in 1982 (see schedule below) if 1 includes germans resettled in poland during war nazis, children born expellees , persons immigrated aussiedler germany eastern europe after 1950.

former eastern territories of germany lost in world war , ii shown in grey , black, respectively. present-day germany marked red on 1914 map.

germans fled, evacuated, or expelled result of actions of nazi germany, red army, civilian militias, and/or organized efforts of governments of reconstituted states of eastern europe. between 1944 , 1950, @ least 12 million had fled or had been expelled , resettled post-war germany, (11.5 million) territories of post-war poland , czechoslovakia. 3 million persons of german ancestry remained in expulsion areas, gradually emigrated westward in cold war era or have been assimilated local populations. areas germans fled or expelled subsequently repopulated nationals of states territory belonged, many of whom poles fled or expelled former polish territories in ussr. 148 000 of polish citizens declared german nationality in 2011.

the german federal expellee law (bvfg) classifies following expellees (vertriebene):

those ethnic germans emigrated eastern europe after 1 january 1993 no longer classified expellees under german law, can apply immigration , naturalisation under special terms spätaussiedler (ethnic german late emigrant ). nazi german occupational functionaries , other german expatriates, had relocated german-annexed or german-occupied foreign territory during war, not considered expellees german law unless showed circumstances (such marrying resident of respective area) indicating intention permanently settle abroad time after war (bvfg § 1 (4)).

treated separately refugees , expellees had neither german citizenship nor german ethnicity had fled or been expelled former domiciles , stranded in west germany or west berlin before 1951, amounting 130,000 in 1951, , less 3,000 in 2011. classified displaced persons international refugee organizations until 1950, when west german authorities granted them special status of heimatloser ausländer (i.e. homeless foreigner, comprising either foreign citizens unable or unwilling repatriate, or stateless persons go). covered under preferential naturalization rules, distinct other legal aliens or stateless persons.

flight, expulsion , accounting expellees 1950

expellees defined german law

1—pre-war eastern europe ethnic germans resided in eastern europe prior war.

1950–oder–neisse region (pre-war germany): 6,980,000; poland: 690,000; danzig: 290,000; czechoslovakia: 3,000,000; hungary: 210,000; romania: 250,000; yugoslavia: 300,000; , baltic states: 170,000.

1982–oder–neisse region (pre-war germany): 8,850,000; poland: 1,000,000; danzig: 357,000; czechoslovakia: 3,521,000; hungary: 279,000; romania: 498,000; yugoslavia: 445,000; , baltic states: 200,000.

2—pre-war soviet union – ethnic germans ussr resettled in german-annexed or occupied poland during war. 1950 (100,000); 1982 (250,000). during war nazis resettled 370,000 ethnic germans ussr in poland; soviets returned 280,000 ussr after war.

3—germans west of oder neisse resettled during war. category includes german nationals living west of oder–neisse line in 1939 resettled in occupied eastern europe nazi germany. in 560,000 resettled in eastern europe (530,000 in postwar territory of poland , 30,000 in czechoslovakia). considered expellees in eyes of german law. in 1950 460,000 counted expellees, , 1982 number had increased 500,000. according german law defining expellees (bvfg § 1 (4)), nazi german occupational functionaries , other german expatriates had relocated german-annexed or german-occupied foreign territory during war not considered expellees unless showed circumstances (such marrying resident of respective area) indicating intention permanently settle abroad after war. section bvfg § 1 (5) of german law excludes persons expellees implicated in nazi war crimes , violations of human rights.

an additional 1,320,000 germans settled in poland , czechoslovakia during war, including 410,000 german nationals living in pre-war german oder–neisse region , 910,000 ethnic germans east-central europe (166,000 eastern poland; 127,000 baltic states; 212,000 romania; 35,000 yugoslavia; , 370,000 ussr in 1939 borders). these persons included above first 2 categories of expellees, 1- pre-war eastern europe , oder–neisse region , 2- pre-war soviet union.

3—pre-war western europe , abroad - ethnic germans pre-war western europe , abroad resided in postwar germany.

4—resettled in western europe during war - during war nazis resettled german nationals in western europe. after war returned postwar germany considered expellees.

expellees place of residence