Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950)
After the end of World War II in 1945, millions of people in Europe had to leave their homes and seek safety elsewhere. Many of those people were Germans who had to move away from the countries they once called home, such as Poland and the Czech Republic. This was called the "flight and expulsion of Germans."
At the end of the war, many governments decided to punish the Germans for the terrible things they had done by forcing them to leave their homes. Most of these people had to move to Germany and other areas of Western Europe, where they often found it difficult to find new jobs, friends, and a place to live. This was especially hard for children who had to leave their old lives behind and start over.
The flight and expulsion of Germans happened from 1944 to 1950, but some people had to leave their homes even earlier and some were kept in camps even after the war had ended. This meant a lot of people were displaced, torn away from the lives they knew, and had to find some place else to start over.
At the end of the war, many governments decided to punish the Germans for the terrible things they had done by forcing them to leave their homes. Most of these people had to move to Germany and other areas of Western Europe, where they often found it difficult to find new jobs, friends, and a place to live. This was especially hard for children who had to leave their old lives behind and start over.
The flight and expulsion of Germans happened from 1944 to 1950, but some people had to leave their homes even earlier and some were kept in camps even after the war had ended. This meant a lot of people were displaced, torn away from the lives they knew, and had to find some place else to start over.