Prussian deportations
The Prussian deportations, also known as the Prussian expulsions of Poles (Polish: rugi pruskie, German: Polenausweisungen), were the mass expulsions of Poles from German-controlled Prussia between 1885 and 1890. More than 30,000 Poles from the Austrian and Russian Partition of Poland who did not obtain German citizenship when the German Empire was formed in 1871 were deported from the Prussian part of divided Poland to the respective Austrian and Russian Partitions of the no-longer existing Commonwealth.
| Native name | Rugi pruskie |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1885–1890 |
| Location | German imperial Prussia |
| Type | Ethnic cleansing |
| Cause | Anti-Polish sentiment |
| Patron(s) | Otto von Bismarck |
| Outcome | Deportation of over 30,000 Poles from the Prussian Partition of the Commonwealth |
The county-wide expulsion was condemned by the Polish public as well as the federal German parliament. The expulsion also contributed to the worsening of the German-Russian relations. In the aftermath, Poles without German citizenship were again allowed to work and reside in the German Empire in all seasons but the winter. It is regarded as an early example of ethnic cleansing.