"The Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft sees itself as the away-from-home established body of the Sudetengerman ethnic group and same as member of the German nation. It is aware of the bond and solidarity with Germany, especially in time of need. It is willing to cooperate with all other Germans expelled from their homes for the representation of common interests. The Sudetengerman ethnic group considers it as its task to preserve itself for the German nation, for members to remain conscious of their homeland and their legal claims on it, and to share their frontier experience with Germans in general. The group's aim is reclamation of the homeland. In the struggle towards this goal the group expects support from all of Germany as well as other nations who are willing to uphold justice and human rights. Preserving life and substance of the group requires survival of and support for every individual and obligates all Sudetengermans regardless of descent, confession, political affiliation and social status to mutual assistance and solidarity in all areas of life. Maintaining livelihoods must be assured by organized mutual economic assistance; the consciousness of their heritage must be kept alive by all cultural -, the legal claim on their homeland by use of all political forces.

Recognizing that, to an increased extend, Germany and the Sudetengerman ethnic group no longer is subject, but object of international politics, the Sudetengerman ethnic group sees its currently best course in foreign policy in bringing to world-wide attention the formation of its inner structure and the publication of factual history. Should time appear to hold a promise for regaining the homeland, it wants to stand in closed ranks to act in responsible self-determination on decisions over its own destiny. For these reasons it rejects wishful thinking, theories and doctrines in foreign policy, especially since that would jeopardize the essential unity of the group and make fragmentation inevitable. The Sudetengerman ethnic group is willing to devote its intellectual, economic and ethical potential to further a reconstruction of Europe towards a unified economic region on the basis of national self-determination.

In spite of the terrible sufferings Sudetengermans experienced after May 1945, the group rejects as contravening all moral views to acknowledge collective guilt and emphasizes that it wants to see a Europe built not on the basis of retribution and revenge, hatred and resentment, but on the basics of law and on preservation of human dignity for all participating nations."

Detmold, January 25, 1950

Dr. Rudolf Lodgman von Auen, Speaker of the SL