Umvolkung

Umvolkung (or " Ethnomorphose " ) is originally a term of national socialism policy, which came in the conquered eastern territories in earnings of Lebensraum in the East to carry and is closely related to the General Plan East. He said the one hand, the re- Germanization of ethnic Germans who had the "Germanness " not quite alienated in the Slavic area, and on the other hand, the relocation of certain ethnic groups in their new assign areas so that would be taken care of in each other clearly defined spaces for ethnic unity and the " staatskolonialistische settlement project " ( Jürgen Osterhammel, 2009 ) of the " Greater Germanic Reich of the German Nation " with borders in the Urals could be realized.

The term is now used by right-wing and right-wing populist groups in continuity folkish mental pattern for criticism of multiculturalism and the increasing proportion of non- German descent ( foreigners and so-called " pass Germans" ) in the population.

Origin and background

Coined the term by Albert Brackmann, the " gray cardinal of Ostforschung " ( Mathias Beer). The term is related to the nation-state concern that since the unification in 1871, but especially through the reduction of Germany by the territorial provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, the number of people living outside the borders of the Reich Germans who were called in contrast to the Imperial German People German, was significantly increased. This concern was expressed most clearly by the creation of states of Poland and Czechoslovakia, on whose territories substantial German minorities lived, who remained excluded from the self -determination of peoples geographic circumstances and the associated separation from the Reich. At the same time they set by their presence and the insistence on autonomy, the principle of ethnic homogeneity in the new states in question. The Ostforschung took in the Weimar Republic, the task of true in this autonomy is an important element of the conditions for seeing " Germanization of Ostraumes ", ie to take the Umvolkung eye and prepare through scientific exploration in the People and Culture Soil Research.

The preliminary work of the Ostforschung concretized since the defeat of Poland in the Polish campaign in 1940 being tackled " General Plan for the East " and the procedures set out Umvolkung in the conquered areas, which should mean the "Germanization " or " Germanization ". It extended the draft plan of 23 December 1942, Himmler's desire also to Bohemia and Moravia, Alsace - Lorraine, Lower Styria and Carniola.

First " Umvolkungsaktionen " related to the " incorporated eastern territories " (cf. Reichsgaue Wartheland and Danzig-West Prussia) with the establishment of " ethnic Germans " established place of the " General " sold and as no rights or " special law " treated Polish population, for which a colonial administration been. For special law dealing with the " foreign Nationalists " was next to enslavement is also the possibility verschiedenstufiger naturalization or Umvolkung include ( entry in the " German people " list. ) Subsequent actions with extensive Umvolkungen were the Zamość action and undertaken between autumn 1942 and the end of 1943 in Hege forest near Zhitomir to Heinrich Himmler's headquarters around " Germanizing " settlement attempt: After the expulsion of 15,000 Ukrainians 10,000 people German were settled in their stead.

" Umvolkungen " at war's end

The onset of the German East end of the war expulsions are a response to the ethnic Homogenisierungsabsichten of ethnic nationalism that culminated in National Socialism and should be implemented because they ran it out to enforce now also ethnically homogeneous Slavic nation-states. This reflex had already Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk in writing " The new Europe. The Slavic point of view " from 1918 down and the German Ostforschung accompanied in the shape of Poland's western research since the Weimar Republic, then word leader on the " was involved Reslawisierung " the imposed by Joseph Stalin and separated from the Oder- Neisse border territories of the German Reich. With the " Reslawisierung " and reaching back to the 10th century national assembly that would make the German Ostsiedlung and the so-called German Drang nach Osten undone, these territories were classified as " recovered " is issued and received for integration into the newly established borders until 1949 its own " Ministry of the Recovered Territories ".

Today's use

Extreme right-wing and right-wing populist groups and individuals who use the term as a slogan to bring their fears alienation towards immigrants about because of their higher birth or naturalization of many expressed. Due to the highly regarded immigrants as to share in her native Europe was threatened by Umvolkung.

In Austria, " Umvolkung " repeatedly used since the 1990s by former FPÖ functionaries like Andreas Mölzer, John Gudenus or former Members of Parliament Franz Lafer. Lafer's statement to the then newly drafted naturalization law and the large number of foreign birth: "I would almost say that resembles already a Umvolkung ". 2013 tried the FPÖ politician Karl Schnell in the election campaign for state elections in Salzburg 2013, the assertion of Umvolkung.