Religious demographics Demographic estimates of the flight and expulsion of Germans

the west german researcher gerhard reichling published study estimated prewar german population @ 18,267,000 in eastern europe (including ussr), of whom 2,020,000 dead in expulsions , forced labor in ussr. in addition, estimated military , civilian war dead in area of expulsions @ 1,250,000, did not provide details figure. reichling provided breakout of ethnic german population religion included german-speaking jews other religions , beliefs. did not give separate total german jews included in figure others , nor did enumerate jewish dead in figures of wartime , postwar losses. kurt horstmann of federal statistical office of germany wrote forward study endorsing work of reichling, employee of federal statistical office involved in study of german expulsion statistics since 1953.

religion of germans east, according gerhard reichling

reichling defines others follows - term other includes other creeds (jewish communities , groups, other peoples , world religions, freethinkers , enlightenment associations) , without creed or no report of religious belief.

german-speaking jews in eastern europe prior war

a. former eastern territories of germany – based on may 1939 census in eastern regions of germany there according nazi antisemitic terminology – full jews 27,526; one-half jewish 6,371; , one-quarter jewish 4,464. ingo haar maintains 27,533 jews in former eastern territories of germany, of whom perished in holocaust, included dead expellees in west german figures.

b. czechoslovakia - polish demographer piotr eberhardt estimated there 75,000 german-speaking jews in czech lands in 1930; did not give figure slovakia. based on may 1939 census in sudetenland there – using nazi terminology – full jews 2,363; one-half jewish 2,183; , one-quarter jewish 1,396. 2,035 jews in sudetenland included german population in west german figures used calculate expulsion losses.

c. hungary - eberhardt estimated there 10,000 german-speaking jews in hungary in 1930.

d. poland - according december 1931 census of poland there 7,000 german-speaking jews in poland.

c. yugoslavia - schieder commission report yugoslavia put number of german-speaking jews @ 10,026 in 1931.

german historians hans henning hahn , eva hahn have raised issue of german minority in eastern europe , holocaust. point out german historians of expulsions have hardly covered fate of german-speaking jews in holocaust. there many jews in eastern europe spoke german primary language , identified german nationality prior war, , many others spoke german second language. in czechoslovakia there 46,000 jews identified german nationality in 1930.

many jews fled czechoslovakia in 1939 prior beginning of war; of remained perished in holocaust. hahns mentioned many of jewish victims in czechoslovakia have german-sounding names. according hahns wartime estimate nazi researcher put number of jews outside of czech lands @ 6.8 million, of whom 4% spoke german.