'Gerlach's thoughtful, well-researched study of the plight of ethnic Germans in the postwar Czech borderlands is a welcome addition to the literature about an often misunderstood or forgotten episode in the complex history of postwar Central and Eastern Europe.' David M. Crowe, Journal of Interdisciplinary History
Introduction; 1. In the wake of war: expulsions, violence and borderland life; 2. National divisions: resettlement, local power and settler conflicts; 3. Persian rugs and well-appointed farms: the politics of expropriation; 4. German workers: Czech settlers and labor politics; 5. Consolidating borderland industries: from confiscation to nationalization; 6. borderlands transformed: diverse communities and the construction of socialism; Conclusion.