After 1945 and 1962, Germany and France received millions of refugees and expellees from Middle and Eastern Europe and from North Africa. Bringing together leading international scholars from both fields, this volume compares one of the largest instances of 'ethnic cleansing' – the Germans from the East (Vertriebene) – with the most important case of decolonization migration – the French repatriates of Algeria (pieds-noirs). By shifting the focus away from the origins and forms to the aftermath of these two examples of mass migration, the book explores to which extent postwar Europe was shaped by the integration of migrants. How did this process impact on the definition of citizenship and the construction of the welfare state in postwar Germany and France? How did it alter the associational and political landscape of both countries? Which marks did it leave on the public memory of crucial chapters in their national histories?

'This crisply edited volume placing German Vertriebene and French Pieds-noirs in critical comparison is groundbreaking. Beautifully wrought, through its careful pairing of topical chapters, it reveals unexpected commonalities and surprising contrasts, causing us to see Germany's former eastern settlements, postcolonial Europe, and even comparative historiography in new light.' - Andrea L. Smith, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Lafayette College, USA