Each year, millions of people are uprooted from their homes by wars, repression, natural disasters, and climate change. In Uprooted, Volha Charnysh presents a fresh perspective on the developmental consequences of mass displacement, arguing that accommodating the displaced population can strengthen receiving states and benefit local economies. Drawing on extensive research on post-WWII Poland and West Germany, Charnysh shows that the rupture of social ties and increased cultural diversity in affected communities not only decreased social cohesion, but also shored up the demand for state-provided resources, which facilitated the accumulation of state capacity. Over time, areas that received a larger and more diverse influx of migrants achieved higher levels of entrepreneurship, education, and income. With its rich insights and compelling evidence, Uprooted challenges common assumptions about the costs of forced displacement and cultural diversity and proposes a novel mechanism linking wars to state-building.

Winner, 2025 Merze Tate - Elinor Ostrom Outstanding Book Award, American Political Science Association

‘In this brilliant and rigorous analysis, Volha Charnysh shows how forced migration in postwar Europe was a short-term tragedy and a long-term boon. As migrants turned to the state, the state met the challenge, leading to higher public goods provision and more intensive economic growth. For scholars of migration, development, and the state, this is a must-read.’

Anna Grzymala-Busse - Michelle and Kevin Douglas Professor of International Studies, Stanford University

‘In this pathbreaking study Volha Charnysh upends what we thought we knew about the interaction between social cohesion and state capacity. Examining one of history’s biggest population displacements, she shows convincingly that areas with more diverse populations after the transfers saw greater improvements in state capacity and economic performance. This is a major addition to scholarship.’

David Stasavage - Dean for the Social Sciences & Julius Silver Professor of Politics, New York University

‘Are migrants and local diversity a net economic gain for the receiving country? In this theoretically rich and historically nuanced study of post-World War II population transfers, Charnysh offers evidence that will make liberals swoon: where the receiving state is willing to supply public goods, diversity outperforms homogeneity.’

Jason Wittenberg - Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

‘While there are myriad studies of the many different aspects of WW II and its consequences - namely, the vast population transfers during and after the war - most have not gone far beyond the numbers. In Uprooted, Charnysh (MIT) delves deeply into the many facets of population movements between postwar Poland and West Germany … This study offers dense analysis and multiple useful maps, tables, and figures … Recommended.’

B. T. Browne Source: CHOICE

‘In this ambitious and impressive monograph, Volha Charnysh examines one of the most urgent challenges facing the world today: large-scale forced population movements and their consequences.… Charnysh’s monograph is a major achievement that deserves a wide readership among social scientists and contemporary historians. The study is carefully constructed, fluidly presented, and convincingly argued.’

Pertti Ahonen Source: Perspectives on Politics