Between liberation, the Cold War and a new beginning Displaced Persons in German-speaking countries (1945-1951)

From the event series "1945. KriegsEnden - Perspektiven auf das Ende des Krieges und seine Bedeutung heute." a lecture by Sarah Grandke, University of Regensburg. Millions of people were considered displaced persons (DPs) in 1945. The Allies felt responsible for their care and repatriation. But not all DPs wanted to or were able to return. Those who stayed often lived in DP camps. How did DPs experience this time of uncertainty and transition? The series of events focuses on the end, or rather the ends, of the Second World War 80 years ago. The plural "KriegsEnden" in the title refers not only to divergent perceptions and interpretations, continuities and ruptures or the "simultaneity of the non-simultaneous" around 1945, but also to the need to focus more strongly on perspectives from Eastern Europe and on Eastern Europe. As part of the lecture series, experts from academia and museum practice will provide a wide range of thematic insights into their latest work. A wide geographical range will also be covered, taking in both metropolitan areas and the peripheries of Poland, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria and Romania.