The following article uses the book Alles, was wir nicht erinnern. Zu Fuß auf dem Fluchtweg meines Vaters by Christiane Hoffmann, published in 2022, to take a look at the great wave of refugees after the end of the Second World War, focussing on the flight of the German population from the German eastern territories (specifically Lower Silesia) to the west. In addition to an overview of the literature on flight and expulsion and a historical classification of the topic of the book, the article also analyses the refugee problem with regard to other crises, including the latest developments in this area – in connection with the war in Ukraine.