Post-war Germany and Austria Demographic estimates of the flight and expulsion of Germans

refugee camp in bavaria, 31 december 1944

on 29 october 1946, allied occupation zones in germany held 9.5 million refugees , expellees: 3.6 million in british zone, 3.1 million in u.s. zone, 2.7 million in soviet zone, 100,000 in berlin , 60,000 in french zone.

these numbers subsequently increased, 2 million additional expellees counted in west germany in 1950 total of 7.9 million (16.3% of population). origin, west german expellee population consisted of 5.5 million people post-war poland, former german east/new polish west, 2 million former sudetenland, , rest southeast europe, baltic states , russia.

german children @ refugee camp, western germany, 31 december 1944

according estimates made in west germany, in soviet zone number rose 4.2 million 1948 (24.2% of population) , 4.4 million 1950, when soviet zone became east germany.

thus, total of 12.3 million heimatvertriebene constituted 18% of population in 2 german states created allied occupation zones (the federal republic of germany , german democratic republic) in 1950, while 500,000 expellees found refuge in austria , other countries. because of influx, population of post-war german territory had risen 9.3 million (16%) 1939 1950 despite wartime population losses.

after war, area west of new eastern border of germany crowded expellees, of them living in camps, looking relatives, stranded. between 16.5% , 19.3% of total population expellees in western occupation zones , 24.2% in soviet occupation zone. expellees made 45% of population in schleswig-holstein , 40% in mecklenburg-vorpommern; similar percentages existed along eastern border way bavaria, while in westernmost german regions numbers lower, in french zone of occupation. of expellees stranded in east germany, many migrated west germany, making disproportionally high number of post-war inner-german east-west migrants (close 1 million of 3 million total between 1949, when west , east german states created, , 1961, when inner-german border closed).

german naturalisation of foreign ethnic german refugees , expellees

ethnic german refugees , expellees of foreign or no citizenship, residing within german borders stood in 1937, granted german citizenship west german constitution (grundgesetz), art. 116 (1) when came force in 1949. expellees arriving later in federal republic of germany granted german citizenship well, detailed legal treatment varied, depending on or ancestors citizenship. aussiedler (see above) or ancestors had been german citizens before 1945 legally considered being german citizens, regardless of other citizenships may have held. according nationality law of german empire , states (reichs- und staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz; rustag) of 1913, valid until 1999, loss of german citizenship valid if 1 applied (rustag § 21 (1)), , competent german authority issued denaturalisation deed (entlassungsurkunde, rustag § 23 (1)), , person denaturalised emigrated german territory within year after starting procedure (rustag § 24 (1)).

west german jurisdiction maintained until treaty of germany on seizures of territories (concluded german–polish border treaty (1990)) should legalise de facto status, eastern territories of germany annexed other nations in 1945 , saar protectorate legally german territory purpose. alternatively german citizens living abroad – in west german definition outside of german borders of 1937 – unilateral voluntary adoption of foreign citizenship entail 1 s denaturalisation german (rustag § 25 (1)).

however, conditions of voluntarity, issuance of deed, , leaving german territory (if applicable), not fulfilled german citizens authoritatively naturalised eastern european states happened live in after 1945. children gained german citizenship jus sanguinis (rustag § 4). aussiedler of foreign citizenship descending ancestors holding german citizenship before 1918 (regardless of ethnicity) granted german citizenship federal expellee law (bvfg § 6 (2)), while aussiedler without such german descent of german ethnicity (to evidenced german culture, language, traditions, etc.) received german citizenship (see bvfg § 1 (1) no. 1).