Most of the refugees had lost everything. In the immediate post-war period, the things that were lacking most everywhere were clothing, food and, above all, living space. They were forced to improvise.
Refugees were provisionally accommodated in mass accommodations such as guesthouses or gyms. In Luneburg, the monastery, the spa house or the prison were also temporarily used for this purpose. In addition, "transit camps" were set up to channel the flow of refugees.
In 1945 there were about 5,000 homes were missing in the city. A ban on immigration did nothing to change that. In addition to the refugees, bombed-out persons and so-called "displaced persons", for example former forced labourers from Poland or France, also had to be accommodated. The British military alone claimed 12 percent of the housing for themselves.