Figure 1.--Here are some ethnic-German boys in occupied Poland playing in a Wehrmachr halftrack, we believe early in the War. These boys are not identified, but we beleve they are ethnic Germans for two reasons. First the Polish children would have been reluctant to approach the Germans abd the German soldiers would not have welcomed them inside their vehicles near their weapons. The Germans welcomed the Whermacy as it rolled through Poland. The German soldiers would have been likely to treat ethnic German children like this in the same jovial spirit.

Poland was formed after World War I, primarily out of the Russian Empire. Areas of Western Poland came from the German and Austro-Hungarian Empire. There was considerable mixing of peoples within both Empires. The result was a substantial number of ethnic Germnas found themselves in new independent Poland. There was no way to draw the new border without leaving some Poles in Germany and some Germans in Poland. To provide Poland an outlet to the sea, some largely Germn areas were included in Poland. The Germans were not forced to leave, but most were unhappy about living in a foreign country. NAZI propaganda complained that the Germans in Polnd were mistreated. We do not yet have details as to how the Germans inn Poland were treated. They were one of the largest minorities with also included Jews, Ukranians, Lthuanians, and White Russians. Most of the Germans lived in Western Poland. After the NAZI invasion (September 1939), NAZI authorities annexed Western Poland and began a terrible repression of the Poles there. They deported many Poles, including whole communities en masse, to the Government General. Germans from the Baltics which had following Hitler's orders had cone "Home to the Reich" were resettled in the areas cleared of Poles. Most of the Germans in Poland welcomed the arrival of the NAZIs. We are unsure at this time to what degree the Germans in occupied Poland cooperated in NAZI crimes. We would be interested in any sources of information that readers may have on this topic.

Germans and Poles

Germans and Poles have been at odds with each other for centuries. It is a fact that large parts of northern Germany, as far as Hamburg in the west, were settled by Slavs. But it also is a fact that Germans went east, often invited by the Polish kings and other Eastern European novels. At the time Polish cities were just begining to form and Germans as well as Jews plsayed an important roe in the development of cities, not as importat as in the Baltics, bu neverless an important role. Several Polish cities were founded by Germans and always had German-speaking citizens. Many famous Poles had German blood. Copernicus spoke German and Polish with equal fluency. His mother was Barbara Watzenrode, a sister of the bishop of Warmia, which was a part of East Prussia. The altar in St. Mary's church in Krakow, is a symbol of Polish pride and patriotism, but it was carved by the master woodcarver Veit Stoss, who was born in Nuremberg, Bavaria. The Polish Partitins (18th century) beought many Poles into Prussia/Germany. The lad question in eastern Germany became a atter of increasing concern to German nationalists in the years before World war I. Many Poles went to work and live in Germany. Especially in the Ruhr area Polish family names are common.

Polish Borders

Poland was formed after World War I, primarily out of the Russian Empire. Areas of Western Poland came from the German and Austro-Hungarian Empire. There was considerable mixing of peoples within both Empires. The result was a substantial number of ethnic Germnas found themselves in new independent Poland. There was no way to draw the new border without leaving some Poles in Germany and some Germans in Poland. To provide Poland an outlet to the sea, some largely Germn areas were included in Poland. These were areas like Pomerania whuch were acquired in the 18th century Polish Partitions.

Germans in Poland

The Germans were not forced to leave, but most were unhappy about living in a foreign country. NAZI propaganda complained that the Germans in Polnd were mistreated. We do not yet have details as to how the Germans inn Poland were treated. They were one of the largest minorities with also included Jews, Ukranians, Lthuanians, and White Russians. Most of the Germans lived in Western Poland.

Invasion (September 1939)

Most of the German minority in Poland welcomed the arrival of the German Army. This was the same pattern as was seen first in the Saarland and Rhineland and then in Austria and the Sudetenland. The notivation was basically nationalism and the desire to be united with Germany. And there were scattered incidents where Polish troopsand civilians atacked Germans before the German Army arrived. For Poland's German minority, the arrival of thecWehrmacht was a liberation. The Germans had been listening to NAZI propaganda broadcasts. But the NAZIs gave no real details about actions they planned to take once in control of Poland. Few in Poland, wether Germans or Poles has any real idea of what Hitler and the NAZIs had planned for Poland. There were pro-NAZIs among the Germans in Poland, but even among them, few could have imagined what Hitler and the NAZI leadership was planned. The Germans had occupied Poland in World War and behaved correctly, if severely. Most Germans and Poles expected the same would occur in this occupation.

Annexation

After the NAZI invasion (September 1939), NAZI authorities annexed Western Poland.

Deportations

The NAZIs began a terrible repression of the Poles there. They deported many Poles, including whole communities en masse, to the Government General.

Baltic Germans

Germans from the Baltics which had following Hitler's orders had cone "Home to the Reich" where they were to be resettled in the areas cleared of Poles. This proved, however, to be a very slow porocess. The SS who controlled the process insisted on vetting the Baltiv German refugees to be sure that they were actually of acceptable German stock. In addition, the SS had to slow down the planned expulsion of the Poles as the preparations for Barbarossa began in ereest.

Conduct during the Occupation

We are unsure at this time to what degree the Germans in occupied Poland cooperated in NAZI crimes. We would be interested in any sources of information that readers may have on this topic.

After the War

Nobody expected really what was going to happen in 1939 when the Germans invaded Poland. Not the Poles and not the German minority either. It was a disaster that ended with millions of people killed or homeless and Poland shidted east. Large parts of easern Germany (much of it obtained by Prussia in the Polish partitions) was annexed by Poland. The Germans there had eiher fled with the Wehrmacht or forced to leavve after the War, The Soviet Union annexed much of pre-War eastern Poland and the Poles there also forced to leave.

Created: 8:10 PM 2/5/2009
Last updated: 11:43 AM 1/17/2010