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EXPLAINED: What was the Sudetenland and why can’t Czechia escape its legacy?

The upcoming Sudeten German congress in Brno is viewed by supporters as reconciliation, while critics say it reopens a painful chapter in Czech history.

Jules Eisenchteter

Written by Jules Eisenchteter Published on 13.05.2026 17:06:00 (updated on 13.05.2026) Reading time: 5 minutes

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Pictures from Archives
Pictures from Archives

About three million ethnic Germans were expelled from post-war Czechoslovakia, and an estimated 15,000–30,000 died during the chaotic early expulsions and later organized deportations.

Under the so-called Beneš decrees, property was confiscated and citizenship stripped in one of the largest forced migrations in European history, justified at the time on the grounds of national security and retribution for suspected Nazi-era collaboration.

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The Sudeten German Congress (in German: Sudetendeutscher Tag) an annual gathering of ethnic Germans whose families lived for centuries in what is now scheduled to take place on Czech territory for the first time ever.

The reaction to the meeting has sparked political division, with some arguing it is time for Czechia to confront a difficult chapter of its past, while others describe the move as an insult to victims of Nazism and warn against what they see as an unnecessary reopening of historical wounds.

The three-party ruling coalition last week asked the lower house of Parliament to vote against the possibility of holding such an event in the Czech Republic, and MPs are due to continue debating the motion on Thursday this week.

#Brno #czech-german relations #explainer
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