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The expulsion of the Sudeten Germans

Around three million German speakers were expelled from Czechoslovakia following Germany’s defeat in World War Two. Helmut, who was a child at the time tells his story.

At the end of World War Two, the Czechoslovak government expelled up to three million German speakers, known as the Sudeten Germans.

They were accused of being loyal to Nazi Germany and collaborating in war crimes.

By 1946 the expulsions were in full swing, and Helmut Scholz, who was a six-years-old at the time, was caught up in the turmoil.

Helmut tells Phil Jones about the traumatic train journey, in a cattle truck, from his home in Czechoslovakia to Germany.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

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(Photo: Helmut Scholz: Credit: Helmut Scholz)

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9 minutes

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Tue 25 Jun 2024 02:50GMT

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