Bund der Vertriebenen

Bund der Vertriebenen
Name	Bund der Vertriebenen
Native name	Bund der Vertriebenen
Formation	1957
Type	Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg
Location country	Germany
Leader title	President
Leader name	Erika Steinbach (former)

Bund der Vertriebenen

The Bund der Vertriebenen is a German umbrella organization representing the interests of ethnic Germans expelled or displaced after World War II from territories such as the Sudetenland, Silesia, East Prussia, and the Pomerania (historical) region. Founded in the postwar period, it has acted as an advocacy group engaging with political parties, national institutions, and international bodies on issues of restitution, memory, and minority rights. The organization has influenced debates involving the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Basic Law, and bilateral relations with states like the Czech Republic and Poland.

History

The organization's roots trace to early postwar associations of expellees such as the Bund der Heimatvertriebenen and regional groups from Lower Silesia and East Prussia, which consolidated into a national body in 1957 amid debates over the Potsdam Conference decisions and the Oder–Neisse line. During the 1950s and 1960s it engaged with figures including Konrad Adenauer and institutions like the Bundestag to seek recognition, compensation, and legal frameworks related to property claims and citizenship questions after World War II. In the 1970s and 1980s its agenda intersected with détente-era diplomacy involving the Federal Chancellor of Germany and treaties such as the Treaty of Warsaw (1970), while in the 1990s the organization responded to German reunification and evolving relations with the Soviet Union successor states, including Russia. Prominent leaders over time included postwar politicians connected to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, reflecting the organization's integration into West German political networks.

Organization and Structure

The Bund der Vertriebenen functions as a federation of regional and cultural associations, incorporating groups from Bavaria, Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia, and Schleswig-Holstein, and affiliates representing specific expelled communities from Bohemia, Moravia, Carpathian Germans, and Transylvanian Saxons. Its governance includes an executive board, presidium, and advisory councils with representatives drawn from organizations such as the Landsmannschaft Schlesien and the Landsmannschaft der Oberschlesier. It maintains offices in state capitals and cooperates with institutions like the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung and international bodies including the Council of Europe and the European Parliament on minority and refugee policy. Administrative functions interact with the Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany) and federal agencies concerning restitution records and cultural heritage.

Membership and Demographics

Membership historically comprised expellees born in territories east of the Oder and Neisse rivers and their descendants, including communities from Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft constituencies, Silesian associations, and displaced populations from East Galicia. Demographic shifts over decades—driven by aging cohorts and generational change—have altered the composition, with increased participation by younger descendants and integration of members from diverse political parties such as the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Free Democratic Party (Germany), and the Green Party (Germany). Regional chapters reflect differing histories tied to cities like Wrocław (Breslau), Gdańsk (Danzig), and Prague, and engage diasporic networks in countries including Austria, the United States, and Canada.

Political Activities and Advocacy

The organization has lobbied parliaments, engaged with chancellors, and submitted position papers to bodies including the European Commission and the United Nations on issues such as property restitution, cultural heritage, and recognition of expulsion histories. It has worked with parliamentary groups in the Bundestag and state legislatures, formed alliances with parties like the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and sometimes clashed with the Social Democratic Party of Germany over historical interpretation and foreign policy toward the Czech Republic and Poland. The group has campaigned regarding German foreign policy landmarks such as the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany and has initiated petitions and demonstrations in coordination with municipal governments and commemorative institutions like the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz.

Controversies and Criticism

The organization has faced criticism from historians and political actors, including scholars associated with the German Historical Institute and commentators in outlets linked to debates in Der Spiegel and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, over allegations of revisionism and politicization of expulsion narratives. Controversies have arisen around statements by prominent figures, disputes with the Czech and Polish governments over restitution claims, and tensions with human rights NGOs and minority groups such as the Roma and Jewish Museum Berlin stakeholders. Internal disputes have led to resignations and public scrutiny involving leaders formerly associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and debates in the Bundestag about historical responsibility and reconciliation.

Cultural and Commemorative Activities

The Bund der Vertriebenen sponsors museums, exhibitions, and memorials related to communities from regions like Silesia, the Sudetenland, East Prussia, and Pomerania, collaborating with cultural institutions such as the Deutsches Historisches Museum and the Haus der Geschichte on traveling exhibitions. It organizes congresses, concerts, and folk events featuring traditions from Transylvania (Siebenbürgen), the Banat German communities, and Carpathian German heritage, and supports publications in cooperation with publishers in Stuttgart and Munich. Annual commemorations engage municipal authorities, church bodies like the Evangelical Church in Germany, and international partners including the Austrian State Archive to foster remembrance, education, and cultural preservation.

Category:Organizations based in Germany Category:Post–World War II population transfers