FORMATION OF UKRAINIAN DISPLACED PERSONS (DPS) IN POST-WAR BAVARIA, 1945–1947

The modern world has encountered a problem of displaced persons and refugees. Due to wars and military conflicts, many people from all over the world are moving to European and American countries in search of places to live. DP status is one of the questions that European politicians try to resolve. However, this problem is not new for Europe. After World War II, European countries had already encountered DPs, organizing aid for them in social, economic, and other fields. The example of Ukrainians in Bavaria represents one of the DP conditions in post-war Europe. The aim of this paper is to analyze the position of Ukrainian DPs in post-war Bavaria from 1945–1947, as well as to characterize the main social conditions DPs faced there. This paper is based on documents that provide information about the main DP camps, aid organizations, and routes taken by Ukrainians to Bavaria. The lack of modern research on DPs after World War II confirms its relevance and emphasizes its novelty. Moreover, this article provides a basis for comparing the problem of Ukrainian DPs then and now in Europe. Therefore, the author aims to demonstrate in this article that Ukrainians were not repatriated because of their social activity. Taking into consideration the Ukrainian position in DP camps regarding education, the healthcare system, and other social fields, the article explains the reality of Ukrainian life in Bavaria. The conclusion of this article demonstrates that despite their DP status, Ukrainians in Bavaria began forming as a national minority after World War II.