flight and expulsion during and after wwii refugees and expellees – integration in germany they...
TRANSCRIPT
Flight and Expulsion during and after WWII
Refugees and Expellees – Integration in Germany
They came from former German regions
Overview
Refugees and Expellees Historical Introduction Potsdam Agreement Their way to Germany Integration Were they integrated?
Germany in 1944
11 million people living in former regions
Regions including: East Prussia, West Prussia, Poznan, Lower Silesia, Upper Silesia, parts of Pomerania and Brandenburg
Germany in 1944
11 million people living in former regions
Regions including: East Prussia, West Prussia, Poznan, Lower Silesia, Upper Silesia, parts of Pomerania and Brandenburg
Introducing in History
During Second World War
East Areas safe until 1944
Front came closer People were scared
and left home [temporarily]
Germany evacuated people
People kept thinking, they'd come back later
People stayed / left too late
Soviet Violence
Those who stayed too long: Soviets came to villages
Destroyed, attacked, shot, abused, raped, robbed
Potsdam Agreement
UK + US + USSR decided on..
Former easter territories of Germany
Also other aspects like: reparations, demilitarization
Aim: find a place for Polish people
Moving Germans from east to west
The Flight/Expulsion
Plan: Send 3,5 Million people to Germany
→ very cold winter Long ways (by
foot or on trains) Overcrowded
trains
People didn't survive → death from cold, too weak to go on, died from bombings
Wanting to fight for their home
In Germany
Camps with 1200 – 2000 people
Not enough food, water & hygiene
1946/47 → 5000 trains arrived with 40-55 wagons
Often with sick and dead people
Hospitals overcrowded
Everyone in Germany → gave things to survive houses /apartments/ rooms
Problems of integration
22% of Germany were destroyed (rails, streets, etc.)
Difficult to transport important goods (food, etc.)
People shared rooms, no privacy
Not enough space: earlier prisoner of wars camps turned into refugees and expellees homes
People living in Germany didn't want to understand
Cultural differences, no work
Solutions
They could get money from banks
Building up new life Started their own
political party Supported eachother
in groups and organizations
1950's economic miracle brought more jobs for everyone
Different laws tried to help integrate
Integrated?
This is home Home is where I am from
Mostly contact to local Germans
71,7% 6,7%
Mostly contact to refugees & expellees
9,5% 57,1%
Note: 21,6% in the first line & 33,4% in the second line answered with„Home is here and where I am from“
A small task
Think: Were the following people integrated well? / Did they integrate
themselves well?
Example 1: Ruth B.
Left home in East Prussia when she was 11 years old
Fled with her mother and siblings Went to school in her new hometown Lives in Lower Saxony today Has five grandchildren
Example 1: Ruth B.
Left home in East Prussia when she was 11 years old
Fled with her mother and siblings Went to school in her new hometown Lives in Lower Saxony today Has five grandchildren
„It was easy to find friends at school,Because children don't care about your rootsAnd we just wanted to play“
Example 2: Franz H.
Left home in Lower Silesia when he was 76 years old
Fled with his wife Lost his wife on the flight Lived in Bavaria Died at the age of 85
Example 2: Franz H.
Left home in Lower Silesia when he was 76 years old
Fled with his wife Lost his wife on the flight Lived in Bavaria Died at the age of 85
„Why would I want to stay in a countryWhich is not my home? They didn't want Us and we didn't want them.“
Example 3: Else F.
Left home in East Prussia when she was 42 years old
Fled with her three children Lost her husband in war Started working as a nurse Lived in Hamburg until she died at the
age of 78
Example 3: Else F.
Left home in East Prussia when she was 42 years old
Fled with her three children Lost her husband in war Started working as a nurse Lived in Hamburg until she died at the
age of 78
„I had to go through a lot. Losing my husband, Going to Hamburg. New situations, not easy to find friends. Still, the job helped me.“
Conclusions
Most of the people were integrated well Laws, organizations, parties and groups
helped to integrate Big help: Economic miracle → bringing
jobs
Thanks for listening!I hope you learned a few things!
Bibliography
„Die Vertreibung der deutschen Bevölkerung aus den Gebieten östlich der Oder-Neiße“ by Bundesministerium für Vertriebene, Flüchtlinge und Kriegsgeschädigte
„Flucht und Vertreibung – Geschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts aus der Perspektive von drei Nachbarn“ by Ingo Eser, Jerzy Kochanowski and Ondrêj Matêjka
„Vier Phasen von Flucht und Vertreibung – zur Vorgeschichte der Ankunft in der SBZ“ by Bärbel Gafert
„Flucht und Vertreibung – Deutschland zwischen 1944 und 1947“ by Frank Grube and Gerhard Richter
„Die Vertreibung im deutschen Erinnern“ by Eva Hahn and Hans Henning Hahn
Staatliche Archive Bayerns „Integration von Flüchtlingen und Vertriebenen in Bayern nach 1945“