The
Oder–Neisse line (, ) is the
border between
Germany and
Poland which was drawn in the aftermath of
World War II. The line is formed primarily by the
Oder and
Lusatian Neisse rivers, and meets the
Baltic Sea west of the seaport cities of
Szczecin (German:
Stettin) and
Swinoujscie (
Swinemünde). All
pre-war German territory east of the line and within the 1937 German boundaries (23.8% of the former
Weimar Republic) were discussed at the
Potsdam Conference, and were placed under International Law Administrative status of Poland (for most of the area) and the
Soviet Union (northern East Prussia) after the war (pending the final World War II peace treaty for Germany), and the vast majority of its native German population was killed, fled or
expelled by force. The Oder–Neisse line marked the border between the
German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and Poland from 1950 to 1990. East Germany confirmed the border with Poland in 1950, while
West Germany, after a period of refusal, finally accepted the border (with reservations) in 1970. In 1990 the newly
reunified Germany and the Republic of Poland signed a treaty recognizing it
as their border.