The German exodus from Central and Eastern Europe describes the dramatic reduction of ethnic German populations in lands to the east of present-day Germany and Austria. The exodus began in the aftermath of World War I and was implicated in the rise of Nazism. It culminated in expulsions of Germans from Central and Eastern Europe in the aftermath of World War II. These were arranged by the victorious Allies when they redrew national borders and arranged for "orderly population transfers" to remove ethnic groups that they viewed as "troublesome".
Read more about German Exodus From Central And Eastern Europe: Background, Territorial Claims of German Nationalists, Support of Nazi Invasion By German Population in Invaded Countries, Nazi-Soviet Population Transfers, The Allies Deliberate On The Postwar German-Polish Border, Evacuation and Flight, Expulsion, The Results, Legacy
Famous quotes containing the words eastern europe, german, exodus, central, eastern and/or europe:
“Should the German people lay down their arms, the Soviets ... would occupy all eastern and south-eastern Europe together with the greater part of the Reich. Over all this territory, which with the Soviet Union included, would be of enormous extent, an iron curtain would at once descend.”
—Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945)
“Many of our German friends before the war would come as our guest to hunt wild pig. I refused to invite Goering. I could not tolerate his killing a wild pig— seemed too much like brother against brother.”
—Joseph L. Mankiewicz, U.S. director, screenwriter. Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Countess (Danielle Darrieux)
“So they took soot from the kiln, and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw it in the air, and it caused festering boils on humans and animals.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Exodus 9:10.
“Sweet weight,
in celebration of the woman I am
and of the soul of the woman I am
and of the central creature and its delight
I sing for you. I dare to live.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“The eastern light our spires touch at morning,
The light that slants upon our western doors at evening,
The twilight over stagnant pools at batflight,
Moon light and star light, owl and moth light,
Glow-worm glowlight on a grassblade.
O Light Invisible, we worship Thee!”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“In Europe an actor is an artist. In Hollywood, if he isn’t working, he’s a bum.”
—Anthony Quinn (b. 1915)