High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! As a result of the World War II, Poland`s borders were shifted dramatically westwards. Within Poland`s new boundaries there remained a substantial number of ethnic Germans who were largely expelled from Poland, until 1951. The remaining former German citizens were mostly so-called "autochthons" who were allowed to stay in post-war Poland after declaring Polish nationality in a special verification process. However, according to article 116 of the German constitution, all former German citizens, regardless of their nationality, can be "re-granted German citizenship on application" and also are "considered as not having been deprived of their German citizenship if they have established their domicile in Germany after May 8, 1945 and have not expressed a contrary intention." This regulation allowed the "autochthons", as well as ethnic Germans who at first decided to stay in Poland and were allowed to do so, to reclaim German citizenship and settle in West Germany. Besides those groups a substantial community of Poles who never had German citizenship were immigrating to West Germany during the whole period of the People`s Republic of Poland due to its undemocratic political system and constant economic problems.