Figure 1.--Ethnic Germans in Latvia were allowed to have their own schools. Here a German teacher after Hiler orders the Baltic Germans 'Home to the Reich', pscks her classroom supplies. The Germans were allowed to take their property with them. After the Soviet seizure of Latvia and the other Baltic Republics (1940), there were negotiatuions between the NAZIs and Soviets about reimbursemernt for propert like buildings and land that the Baltic Germans could not take with them. Source: Bundesarchiv, Kolenz.

The Volksdeutsche were part of the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, but there history there was considerably different than in other areas that came to comprise the Russian Empire. These Baltic countries until World War I (1914-18) and the Russian Revolution (1917) were part of the Tsarist Russian Empire, although the German presence predated their absortion by the Russians. Germans started colonizing northeastwards along the Baltic Sea at the end of the 13th century. First the noblemen of the Teutonic Order built fortresses and castles all along the Baltic coast, including Danzig (Gdansk), Memel (Klaipeda) and Reval (Tallin). Later merchants followed and settled in the ports and cities under the Hanseatic League. It is ironic that the original Prussians were a Baltic people, who were conquered by the Germans and actually wiped out completely--but not before giving those Germans their name: Borussians (Prussians). The rural population always remained Estonian, Latvian, or Lithuanian, but in the cities there was a large German minority. The Baltic people were conqured by the Tsar Peter the Great (1622-1725) during the Great Northern War (1700-21) with Sweden. Peter at the Battle of Poltava (1709) achieved one of the great military victories in Russian history. The "Baltic Barons" (the German knights) afterwards supplied an enormous amount of officers and administrators in the service of the Russian czars throughout the centuries. For example: several geographical names in Alaska derive from German-Baltic explorers when that part of the United States was still Russian: Wrangell Mountains, Kotzebue Sound, Hagemeister Island, etc. Hitler in 1939-40 after seizing Poland ordered the Baltic Volksdeutsche "heim ins Reich". Hitler in 1939-40 after seizing Poland ordered the Baltic Volksdeutsche "heim ins Reich". He proceeded to negotiate a treaty to bring the Baltic Germans back to the Reich. The Baltic Germans also provided a suitable population conviently available to persue German polivies in the East beginning with Germaizing Poland. The Baltic Germans had lived outside of Germany for centuries. Even so, most obeyed the Führer's orders, leaving their homes. The first group arrived in Danzig from Estonia October 20, 1939. They and the other Baltic Germand were assigned areas in occupied Poland to the south. The NAZIs inthe Warthegau and other areas of occupied Poland were expelling the Polish population in order to make room for them. From there the Baltic Germans were later expelled themselves, this time by the Poles at the end of the War. Most of them finally settled in West Germany. [Bade]

The Baltics

The Volksdeutsche were part of the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, but there history there was considerably different than in other areas that came to comprise the Russian Empire. These Baltic countries until World War I (1914-18) and the Russian Revolution (1917) were part of the Tsarist Russian Empire, although the German presence predated their absortion by the Russians. I believe that the Baltic Germans were primarily concentrated in Estonia and Latvia, but to not yet have details on the population distribution.

Terminology

The Baltic Germans called themselves Balts. They also are sometimes referred to as German Balts. The German terms are: Baltendeutsche, Balten, and Deutschbalten. Native Prussians are sometimes considered Baltic German because of their cultural, linguistic, and historical connections.

Medieval Era

Ethnic Germans are first reported in the Baltic region during the 12th century. They came as traders and missionaries. Gradually the Germans began to colonize the area, building ports, some of the first important towns. These Germans in the 13th century began to establish their dominance over the local population of finno-ugric and indo-Germanic peoples. This process began with Albert von Buxhoeveden of Bremen who was appointed Bishop of Livonia (1199). Albert founded Riga (1201) and the Order of the Sword Brothers, a German Knights' order to protect the Christian missions which were open from the unconverted local tribes and to begin administering the territory. The resulting political entity became known as the Order State. The Sword Brothers was adsorbed into the larger Teutonic Order (1236). (Details are available in German military orders.) The Order State in the Baltics was thus for 200 years ruled as a part of the German Holy Roman Empire. Noblemen of the Teutonic Order built fortresses and castles all along the Baltic coast, including Danzig (Gdansk), Memel (Klaipeda) and Reval (Tallin). With this security more merchants followed and settled in the ports and cities under the Hanseatic League. It is ironic that the original Prussians were a Baltic people, who were conquered by the Germans and actually wiped out completely--but not before giving those Germans their name: Borussians (Prussians). The rural population always remained Estonian, Latvian, or Lithuanian, but in the cities there was a large financially successful German minority. The Baltics became a battle ground for competing northern monarchies in the 17th century. At various times they were ruled by a succession of militarily powerful monarchies (Poland, Denmark, and Sweden). The Bishops of Riga and Dorpat as well as the Order were also at times in control. As with northern Germany and Scandinavia, the Baltics became Protestant during the Reformation, especially Estonia. Despite the monarch in control the Baltics became dominated by knights who became part of the German aristocracy. As land owners they dominated the local population who became largely Feudal peasants working on estates.

Russia

The Baltic provinces were conqured by the Tsar Peter the Great (1622-1725) during the Great Northern War (1700-21) with Sweden. Peter at the Battle of Poltava (1709) achieved one of the great military victories in Russian history. This resolved with finality the competition among the northern powers (Denmark, Poland, Sweden, and Russia) for control of the area. As a result of the Great Northern and the Polish partitions, the entire Baltic area east of Prussia became Russian Tsarist provinces. The Baltic provinces in Tsarist Russia remained dominated by the local German-speaking aristocracy who simply transferred their alegiance to the Tsar. The Baltic Germans became referred to as the "Tsar's loyal Germans". They lived for two centuries within the Russian Empire, but held on to their cultural traditions. Germans not only constituted the ruling nobility and principal land owners, but theu made up most of the merchant and professional class as well. They were the educated the literati. The localmpopulation for the most partvwere till uneducated peasants tied to the land known as serfs in Tsarist Russia. The government in each Baltic porovince was administered by a Ritterschaft made up exclusively by the matriculated nobility. The Tsars granted various levels of local autonomy. The Baltic Germans established a university at Dorpat, the first such institution in the Baltics. It became the intellectual focus for Baltic Germans. The Germans settled primarily in the cities (Reval, Riga, Dorpat, and Prnu) and until the late 19th centuries these cities had majority German populations. The Baltic Barons (the German knights)goverened with substabntial severity. As Germans peasants emerged from Fedual rule, not such shift occurred in the Baltics. The Barons gioverened their fiefdoms more like Russian landowners. This represive rule led to a series of rural uprisings which were harshly suppressed. The situation was notvas repressive in the cities. The "Baltic Barons" supplied an enormous amount of officers and administrators in the service of the Russian czars throughout the centuries. Baltic Germans, such as Karl Ernst von Baer, Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, Alexander von Oettingen, and Adam Johann von Krusenstern became notable explorers or scientists. Several geographical names in Alaska derive from German-Baltic explorers when that part of the United States was still Russian: Wrangell Mountains, Kotzebue Sound, Hagemeister Island, etc. T Perhaps the best known is Baron von Muenchhausen. With the fall of the Russian empire they were all but forgotten.

The dominant role of the Baltic Germans began to change in the late 19th century. The serfs were emancipated (1861) which made it increasingly difficult for landowers to dominate the local population. Tsarist Russia in the 1880s also began to persue a policy of Russification. This increasingly local autonomy and German language instruction, especially university-level education. The Revolution of 1905 led to attacks against Germans, especially landowners by the repressed peasantry. Manors were burned and the owners killed, in some case with horrible tortures, This was done both by local peasants and by roving revolutionary bands. World War I brought further problems. The Russians viewed the Blatic Germans as little different than the eneny and the Germans viewed them as traitors. The Russian Revolution and civil war brought firther problems and as, aresult, many Baltic Germans emmigrated to Germany despite the difficult post-War conditions.

The Baltic Republics

The new Baltic Republics after World War I (especially Estonia and Latvia) adopted land reform programs. These programs expropriated the large estates thatvhad been owned by the Germans and redistributed the land to small-scale peasant farmers. The Baltic Germans in the cities were able to continue some degree of cultural autonomy. Theybhad lost, however, their cultural dominance and much of their wealth. More emmigrated to Germany during the 1920s-30s.

Home to the Reich (1939-40)

Many Baltic German sin the late 19th and early 20th century had emmigrated to Germany. Hitler in 1939 after seizing Poland ordered the remaining Baltic Volksdeutsche "heim ins Reich". Hitler proceeded to negotiate a treaty to bring the Baltic Germans back to the Reich. Stalin did not impede this. This was done before Stalin had yet seized control but had begun to pressure the Baltic republics. Virtually all of Baltic Germans complied. I am not sure if any restructions were placed on what they could bring with them. The architecture of many Baltic cities is all that remains in the Baltic today. The NAZIs as part of the Non-Aggression Pact were handing the Baltic Republics over to Stalin, but did not want to hand over the ethnic Germans. For Stalin the numbers were trifling and he probably saw himself as getting rid of a potential irritant in NAZI-Soviet relations. The Baltic Germans also provided a racially suitable population conviently available to persue German polivies in the East beginning with Germaizing Poland. The Baltic Germans had lived outside of Germany for centuries. Even so, most obeyed the Führer's orders, leaving their homes. Most of the Baltic Germans complied with Hitler's instructions. The NAZIs sent ships to Baltic ports to take on the Baltic Germans. There were about 12,000 repatriated. I'm not sure how families that had inter-married with Estonians were handled. The first group arrived in Danzig from Estonia October 20, 1939. They and the other Baltic Germand were assigned areas in occupied Poland. The NAZIs in the Warthegau and other areas of occupied Poland were expelling the Polish population in order to make room for them. Polish farmers were forcibly evicted from their farms with no compensation and the Baltic Germans used to replace them. From there the Baltic Germans were later expelled themselves, this time by the Poles at the end of the War. Most of them finally settled in West Germany. [Bade]

Sources

Bade, Klaus J. ed. Deutsche im Ausland. Fremde in Deutschland (C.H.Beck Verlag: Munich, 1992).

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