G. Heuft et al. Ausgebombt – Psychische und psychosomatische Spätfolgen des Zweiten Weltkrieges bei den vor 1946 Geborenen im Jahre 2004 Von Gereon Heuft 1 , Gudrun Schneider 1 , Antje Klaiberg 2 und Elmar Brähler 2 Summary Bombed out – Psychic and psychosomatic long term consequences of World War II for the cohort born until 1945 in the year 2004 Objectives: In a population-based study the hypothesis was pursued as to what extent psychi- atric consequences of specific war experiences of the cohort born up to 1945, exemplified through the fate of those bombed out during World War II, can be proven. Methods: A representative sample of 2552 participants (1206 men and 1346 women) with an age range from 14 to 92 years were questioned using the random-route-technique by an opin- ion research institute. The subsample of the cohort born until 1945 was comprised of 776 participants (30.4 % of the complete sample), of whom 375 were men (48.3 %) and 401 wo- men. Results: 161 participants (20.7 % of the cohort born until 1945) had been bombed out (66 men and 95 women). Comparing those who had been bombed out to those who had not been did not show any significant differences concerning their age, their place of residence (Eastern vs. Western Germany), marital status, education level or income level. From a gender perspec- tive women had been bombed out more frequently (p < .05). Four predictors rendered in a multiple regression analysis significant contributions for the prediction of negative body func- tioning: age, having been bombed out, low income level and low education level (9 % of the variance could be explained). Conclusions: The results show the necessity for a new approach to the long-term consequences of severe strain and traumata concerning psychopathology of older people. For this purpose the concept of ambivalence must be further developed. Z Psychosom Med Psychother 53/2007, 228–243 Keywords World War II – Ambivalence – Traumatic Stress – Quality of Life – Somatoform Disorder – Elderly Z Psychosom Med Psychother 53, 228–243, ISSN 1438-3608 © Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 2007  Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Münster.  Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig.