Where Have all the Germans Gone? Poland’s Diminishing German Minority
Where Have all the Germans Gone? Poland’s Diminishing German Minority
Author(s): Karl CordellSubject(s): Political history, Social history, Social Theory, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism, Migration Studies
Published by: Akademia Zamojska
Keywords: German minority in Poland; Post-war migrations; Self-identification; Post-Communist society; Poles in Germany;
Summary/Abstract: Following the end of the Second World War, Poland hosted many more former Germans than is commonly realised. Despite steady voluntary migration to Germany since the end of the post-war forced migrations in 19491 , Poland still hosts an indigenous German minority. The number of self-declared Germans residing in Poland today is a matter of conjecture. What does appear certain is that their number is diminishing. This paper seeks to establish why this is the case and argues that the answer is to be found in the nature of contemporary Polish society and the post-Communist value system. It also considers the role of evolving national identities in shaping minority self-identification.
Journal: Polonia Inter Gentes
- Issue Year: 2025
- Issue No: 6
- Page Range: 71-84
- Page Count: 14
- Language: English
