Introduction or preface

At the end of World War Two, Central and Eastern Europe were subject to a huge process of ethnic homogenization. A forced exodus of millions of people redefined the national characteristics of the Central-European States in the post-war period. The German populations from the Eastern territories of pre-Nazi Germany and the German minorities from the Central and South-Eastern European states were the most affected by this tragic destiny, with 14 million expelled and almost 2 million dead. The integration of Eastern Germans into their new homeland was difficult and tortuous. Key words: German refugees, Post-war Germany (1945-1960), Public memory, Forced population transfers