Due to Germany’s Nazi past, ethnic Germans and German speakers from these regions were treated with hostility. Millions were expelled or fled to Germany in the years between 1945 and 1950, creating a humanitarian catastrophe. The eternal flame burns in their memory.

The refugees came from many countries. In Eastern Europe, they came from Poland, Yugoslavia, Serbia, and Romania. They also came from Soviet areas like the Baltic countries, and from Denmark, France, and Italy.

Depending on national legislation, they were expelled, persecuted, or otherwise forced to leave their homes.

And in Germany, the authorities had difficulty coping with the large number of refugees. In the eastern German state of Mecklenburg, the population doubled due to the large number of refugees.

In Berlin, the refugees were housed in the Fichte bunker for 24 hours before being relocated to other regions of Germany.

Over 12 million people of German descent were expelled during this period, and around 600,000 died from malnutrition and disease as a result of the expulsion.

In 1955, the eternal flame was erected and lit for them.

The memorial was inaugurated by Mayor Theodor Heuss and was meant to burn until Germany was reunified. The flame was put out on Reunification Day, October 3, 1990.

The flame was lit again three months later and has only gone out once since. In 2022, it was off for two weeks because of a gas shortage caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.