"Osteuropa vom Weltkrieg zur Wende" deals with formerly neglected aspects of political and cultural history and the history of everyday life and mentalities in Eastern Europe from World War II to 2000. Starting with an essay on the shifting identities of ethnic minorities in the pre-war era, this volume traces the rise of communist rule, its ways of governing, and its crises and aftermath. In 18 methodologically differentiated chapters based on recently discovered documents, the book analyses the political and personal consequences of ethnic, social, and economical change. It also describes structures built up under communist rule, such as the cooperation between East European secret services and the relations between the Kremlin and foreign communist parties.