The Weimar Republic and the Problem of the Auslandsdeutsche

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The Auslandsdeutsche problem of early twentieth century Europe was rooted in the conflicts engendered by the growth of the German National State in the nineteenth century. The tug of war between loyalties to the new 'Fatherland' and their current 'homeland' was experienced in varying degrees by Germans living outside the Reich and, inevitably, the process became more painful in the decade or so of international conflict leading up to World War One, when the problems posed were changed dramatically. The surge of anti-German feeling following the war left the Auslandsdeutsche in an exposed and threatened position. The redrafting of the borders of the Old Empire, as part of the Peace Settlement, added vast new groups to the ranks of the Auslandsdeutsche. That the fate of Germans abroad was not a matter of indifference to the Weimar Republic was apparent from the mushrooming of new organizations concerned with the welfare of the Auslandsdeutsche at the end of the war, as well as the refurbishing of older institutions.