EN
The article explores the dynamics of the formation of the image of Belorussia on the German mental map with a consideration of the German occupation policies during the First and Second World Wars. The author suggests that in 1915–18 the Germans tried to “invent” Belorussia in order to overcome the lack of knowledge about this region and, on the other hand strove to gain this “new land” and its population to ensure their own superiority in the East. It seems that the Kaiserreich was indeed tolerant to the profound cultural differences and sought to make use of the local regionalism in geopolitical sense. On the contrary, in the Nazi Germany the cultural differences were initially rejected in favor of the “master race”. In this respect, Belarusians were considered only as a mean to support of the forthcoming colonization. In the author’s opinion, there is much less continuity between the German war policies in the East in 1915−18 and 1941−44 than is generally accepted.