The emigration of German optants from Poland in 1925 differed from the earlier phases of mass emigration of optants due to its forced character. Contradictory provisions on the effects of options taken in the Versailles Treaty and the the Minorities Treaty led to a dispute between Poland and Germany on whether the German optants have to leave Poland or whether it is just their right. Till the German-Polish Convention Concerning Questions of Option and Nationality was signed in 1924, Polish authorities abstained from forcing emigration of optants. After it had been signed, Polish authorities were determined to enforce the powers given by the Convention to force optants to leave the country. And German authorities tried, in diplomatic ways, to make Poland resign from execution of those provisions and make optants not leave too early. Despite that, starting the spring of 1925, some of the 30 thousand optants still living on the territory of Poland started to leave. The biggest number of optants, however, emigrated not sooner than just before the lapse of the first of the three deadlines specified in the Vienna Convention, that is before the 1st of August 1925. The hard conditions in the Piła camp, to which the optants were sent, resulting from accumulated departures and overcrowding, caused an internal German political conflict, in terms of responsibility for such a situation. Some, though not many of the several thousand of optants that did not keep the deadline of the 1st of August 1925 were forcibly transported to the border and banned from Poland. Many more were allowed to postpone the deadline, some were allowed to cancel the option or given Polish citizenship. Emigration of the remaining optants took place during August-September 1925. On the 24th of October 1925, Polish government, under external diplomatic pressure connected with Locarno Conference, ceased enforcing the obligation of the optants’ to emigrate, which ended the forced, mass emigration of German optants.

The emigration of German optants from Poland in 1925 differed from the earlier phases of mass emigration of optants due to its forced character. Contradictory provisions on the effects of options taken in the Versailles Treaty and the the Minorities Treaty led to a dispute between Poland and Germany on whether the German optants have to leave Poland or whether it is just their right. Till the German-Polish Convention Concerning Questions of Option and Nationality was signed in 1924, Polish authorities abstained from forcing emigration of optants. After it had been signed, Polish authorities were determined to enforce the powers given by the Convention to force optants to leave the country. And German authorities tried, in diplomatic ways, to make Poland resign from execution of those provisions and make optants not leave too early. Despite that, starting the spring of 1925, some of the 30 thousand optants still living on the territory of Poland started to leave. The biggest number of optants, however, emigrated not sooner than just before the lapse of the first of the three deadlines specified in the Vienna Convention, that is before the 1st of August 1925. The hard conditions in the Piła camp, to which the optants were sent, resulting from accumulated departures and overcrowding, caused an internal German political conflict, in terms of responsibility for such a situation. Some, though not many of the several thousand of optants that did not keep the deadline of the 1st of August 1925 were forcibly transported to the border and banned from Poland. Many more were allowed to postpone the deadline, some were allowed to cancel the option or given Polish citizenship. Emigration of the remaining optants took place during August-September 1925. On the 24th of October 1925, Polish government, under external diplomatic pressure connected with Locarno Conference, ceased enforcing the obligation of the optants’ to emigrate, which ended the forced, mass emigration of German optants.