Changing Borders, Shifting Populations

The borders of many European countries changed in the lead up to, the occurrence of, and the in the years after World War II. As armies invaded and annexed countries, their citizenry dealt with not only a fluid understanding of citizenship, but also with the demands of the invading forces. In the case of those countries invaded by Nazi armies, Jewish citizens were routinely rounded up and either murdered or forcibly moved to ghettos and concentration camps. Due to both Nazi interference and local collaborators, the Jewish population across Europe was decimated during Hitler’s reign.