German Minorities In Europe

This volume addresses the issue of Germany's external minorities, exploring the complex interrelationship between their ethnic identity and sense of cultural belonging on the one hand, and the political, economic, legal, and social situation in their respective societies, on the other.

This book assesses the role of German minorities in East Central Europe before World War 2. Generalisations made under the influence of wartime propaganda created a stereotype of German minority behaviour according to which all ethnic Germans were fanatical supporters of Hitler, promoters of Nazism and obedient servants of the Third Reich's imperialistic foreign policy. These accusations were used to justify their mass expulsion after the war. The ethnic Germans defended themselves with counter accusations stating that they were the victims of prejudicial generalisations.

Lumans studies the relations between Nazi Germany and the German minority populations of other European countries, examining these ties within the context of Hitler's foreign policy and the racial policies of SS Chief Heinrich Himmler. He shows how the Reich's racial and political interests in these German minorities between 1933 and 1945 helped determine its behavior toward neighboring states. Originally published in 1993. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

The end of World War II led to one of the most significant forced population transfers in history: the expulsion of over 12 million ethnic Germans from Central and Eastern Europe between 1945 and 1950 and the subsequent emigration of another four million in the second half of the twentieth century. Although unprecedented in its magnitude, conventional wisdom has it that the integration of refugees, expellees, and Aussiedler was a largely successful process in postwar Germany. While the achievements of the integration process are acknowledged, the volume also examines the difficulties encountered by ethnic Germans in the Federal Republic and analyses the shortcomings of dealing with this particular phenomenon of mass migration and its consequences.

This book examines contemporary attitudes towards ethnic minorities in Germany. These minorities include some of immigrant origin, such as Italians, Turks, and asylum seekers, and the principal non-immigrant minority, Jews. While the findings demonstrate that intense prejudice against minorities is not widespread among Germans, many of whom in fact can be considered immigrant- and minority-friendly, a crystallization of attitudes is also evident: that is, attitudes towards immigrants are strongly correlated with anti-Semitism and with other worldview dimensions, such as positioning in the left-right political spectrum. In this sense, the fundamental question of whether immigrants and other minorities should be regarded as fellow citizens or ethnic outsiders remains relevant in the German context.

This is the first book to trace the history of all ethnic minorities in Germany during the nineteenth and twentieth-centuries. It argues that all of the different types of states in Germany since 1800 have displayed some level of hostility towards ethnic minorities. While this reached its peak under the Nazis, the book suggests a continuity of intolerance towards ethnic minorities from 1800 that continued into the Federal Republic. During this long period German states were home to three different types of ethnic minorities in the form of- dispersed Jews and Gypsies; localised minorities such as Serbs, Poles and Danes; and immigrants from the 1880s. Taking a chronological approach that runs into the new Millennium, the author traces the history of all of these ethnic groups, illustrating their relationship with the German government and with the rest of the German populace. He demonstrates that Germany provides a perfect testing ground for examining how different forms of rule deal with minorities, including monarchy, liberal democracy, fascism and communism.

While German unification promised a new historical beginning, it also stirred discussions about contemporary Germany’s Nazi past and ideas of citizenship and belonging in a changing Europe. Minority Discourses in Germany Since 1990 explores the intersections and divergences between Black German, Turkish German, and German Jewish experiences, with reflections on the evolving academic paradigms with which these are studied. Informed by comparative approaches, the volume investigates social and aesthetic interventions into contemporary German public and political discourse on memory, racism, citizenship, immigration, and history.

"The problem of how to protect minorities is an old one which has lost none of its relevance. This impressive study of the [MPS] of the League of Nations in relation to the German minority in Poland illuminates a classic example of the problem: the conflict between a new nation state and a previously powerful minority supported by an outside power, and at another level the conflict between a sovereign state and an international organization charged with upholding minority rights. Dr. Frentz has made use of the extensive collection of minority petitions from the League of Nations' archive to produce an account that is both balanced and absorbing." - Jonathan R. C. Wright, Christ Church, University of Oxford *** "With Europe once again seeing a revival of intense ethnic conflict, this is a very timely and welcome book. Based on very thorough research, it addresses many of the key issues raised by minority problems today and provides a shrewd assessment of the complexities involved in solving them. It ought to be required reading for members of international agencies involved in the Balkan crisis." - Jeremy D. Noakes, University of Exeter