Exodus of Germans to the West

• How many Germans fled to the West between 1949 and 1961?

  4 million
• Why did so many East Germans move to the West?

  They were unhappy with economic and political conditions in the East
• What were there shortages of in the East?

  Consumer goods, which were cheap in the West
• What was the issue with field professionals leaving the East?

  It threatened the economic collapse of East Germany