Heimatvertriebene

Heimatvertriebene refers to ethnic Germans who were forced to leave or flee their homes in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II due to border changes, conflict, and political upheaval. Many of these individuals had lived in regions that became parts of countries like Poland and the Czech Republic for generations. They lost their property and communities, often enduring hardship and displacement. The term is primarily used in Germany to describe these refugees and expellees, highlighting their collective experience of uprooting and resettlement, and it remains significant in discussions of post-war history, identity, and memory.