The refugees ' claims were unanimously rejected by the affected countries and became a source of mistrust between Germany , Poland and the Czech Republic . These governments argue that the expulsion of Germans and related border changes were not enacted by the Polish or Czech governments , but rather were ordered by the Potsdam Conference . Furthermore , the nationalization of private property by Poland 's former communist government did not apply only to Germans but was enforced on all people , regardless of ethnic background . A further complication is that many of the current Polish population in historical eastern Germany are themselves expellees ( or descendants of expellees ) who were driven from Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union and were forced to leave their homes and property behind as well
Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
Federation of Expellees