After the decommunization of the countries of Eastern, Southeastern and Central Europe, in the period of social transition, this territory was again marked by economic and social void, which again became subject to German and, to a lesser degree, Austrian influence. Germany is one of the pillars of European integration, but also the community which profits most from the expansion towards the East. It is no coincidence that it is primarily gaining over economic potentials and market; however, it is also interested in cultural and even ethnic spheres, as indicated by the attempts to reconstruct various German communities in this area. The German issue again became one of the prevailing topics in international relations within the process of European integration.