The Banat Swabians lived in Southeast Europe since the 18th century. Their identity as Germans was influenced by their experiences as a minority in a foreign land for more than 150 years. When German troops occupied Yugoslavia in 1941, they were enthusiastically welcomed by the Banat Swabians. As the ethnic German SS division "Prinz Eugen," they participated in the brutal fight against Yugoslav partisans. This serves as a poignant example of how ethnic conflicts can persist over centuries and erupt again in the most brutal ways.