Between 1945 and 1948, up to twelve million Germans who lived in Eastern Europe were expelled following changes to the country’s borders. Many of these Germans resettled in the Federal Republic of Germany, where they came to be known as ‘expellees’. To commemorate their lost homeland, the expellees opened small museums dedicated to the areas of expulsion. This article explores the ways in which history and memory are portrayed in the museum representing the former East Prussian town of Wehlau. By investigating themes such as the representation of the homeland, the Second World War and the integration of the expellees into West Germany, this article will highlight the similarities, differences and tensions in the expellee and wider German memory culture.
‘Memory Contests’, narrative and history in Wehlau’s Heimatmuseum: Negotiating the complicated history and memory of Germany’s twentieth century
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