Federal Ministry for Displaced Persons, Refugees and War Victims

The Federal Ministry for Displaced Persons, Refugees and War Victims ( BMVt ) was built in 1949. Until the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany was responsible in the Western zones caring for the refugees to the state governments. The new Ministry took over the socio-political task of coordinating the integration of displaced persons and refugees to look after the affairs of the war injured, and to take care of in the context of load balancing to obtain compensation and start-up assistance.

The Federal Ministry of displaced persons was set up by former CVP Chairman and Hans Christian Democratic deputies Lukaschek. A further eight federal ministers followed, until 1969 dissolved the Federal Ministry of Displaced and responsibilities were distributed to other federal ministries. In the early days, the Federal Ministry of Displaced developed the load balancing law that was adopted in 1952, and the Federal Law on Displaced Persons ( BVFG ), which entered into force in 1953. They formed the basis for his later work.

On behalf of this ministry was a multi-volume documentation of the expulsion of the Germans from Eastern - Central Europe by numerous scientists - on the basis of documents and witness statements - prepared and issued. In this project, which ran over about ten years, a so-called " Konigsberg Circle", led by Theodor Schieder, Werner Conze and Hans Roth Rock played a major role, they were authors or editors. Additional authors were Adolf Diestelkamp, Rudolf ( by) and Peter Laun Rassow. Schieder and similar historians have the racial struggle with a " fine-spun ideological justification German supremacy in the East" support arguments in the time of National Socialism, as formulated by Wolfgang J. Mommsen. Under Oberland around 75 per cent of posts by former members of the Nazi party were occupied.

In 1969, the Ministry was dissolved in the wake of Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik under heavy criticism of the expellees. The responsibilities have since spread across several ministries, including the Federal Office of Administration, which is responsible for the uptake of repatriates.

Federal Minister from 1949 to 1969

Hans- Joachim von Merkatz was also Federal Minister for Affairs of the Federal and State Governments during his short tenure.

For details on the reasons for Hans Krüger very short term (1963 /64), see here.

Officers Secretaries