| This study focuses on the migration of East German refugees into West Berlin and West Germany between the establishment of the GDR and FRG in 1949 and the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, an influx that, over the course of twelve years, totaled more than three million individuals. While the newcomers were physically indistinguishable and, apart from a few regional differences, shared a common language, culture and religious background with those already residing in West Germany, the presence of these refugees, like that of many other groups of migrants, was still considered a significant danger to the public order --- a perception that was deeply rooted in the historical context of migration in Germany. In response to the influx, the Federal Republic and West Berlin established a comprehensive registration process for refugees, which attempted to determine whether refugees had a valid reason for their flight, and set up temporary camps to accommodate those awaiting resettlement in West Germany. Longer-term solutions included the creation of new employment opportunities and the construction of adequate (and permanent) housing in West German cities. However, these efforts required the cooperation of organizations and agencies at several levels of government, and disagreements among the West German Lander, West Berlin, and the Federal Government had a significant impact on the reception process.;The ongoing migration of refugees also created new areas of concern, in particular the perceived overcrowding of West Berlin and the shifting demographics in both East and West Germany. The West German Government invested heavily in the international effort to study, categorize and propose solutions to problems of migration in the postwar era, creating a network of researchers, bureaucrats and leading politicians that maintained a significant influence over government decisions. One particular concern shared by the government and public in West Germany was that uncontrolled migration of refugees from East to West Germany would have a negative impact on a future reunified German state. However, the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 effectively rendered these debates moot. Once the refugees ceased to arrive by the thousands, those remaining in West Berlin were quickly resettled and within a few years, issues of German refugee migration were no longer at the forefront of West German public discourse. |
