title: Explaining German Expulsions through the Lens of Postcatastrophe: New Discussions Concerning the Shoah and the Expulsions
abstract: This chapter builds on his previous scholarship concerning questions about “being German,” specifically in Hungary during the 20th century, but also throughout Central and Eastern Europe. He examines whether a postcatastrophic perspective—essentially knowledge of the Holocaust and of other 20th century genocides—influences the way we explain the postwar expulsion of Germans today. The author argues that the shift in scholarship—a shift in favor of broad historical developments, such as ethnic cl