Baltic Germans

Baltic Germans(German:Deutsch-BaltenorDeutschbalten, laterBaltendeutsche) areethnic Germaninhabitants of the eastern shores of theBaltic Sea, in what today areEstoniaandLatvia. Sincetheir resettlementin 1945 after the end ofWorld War II, Baltic Germans have markedly declined as a geographically determinedethnic groupin the region.
Since the lateMiddle Ages, native German-speakers formed the majority ofmerchantsandclergy, and the large majority of thelocal landowning nobilitywho effectively constituted aruling classover indigenousLatvianandEstoniannon-nobles. By the time a distinct Baltic German ethnic identity began emerging in the 19th century, the majority of self-identifying Baltic Germans were non-nobles belonging mostly to the urban and professional middle class.
In the 12th and 13th centuries,Catholic Germantraders and crusaders (seeOstsiedlung) began settling in the eastern Baltic territories.With the decline ofLatin,Germanbecame the dominant language of official documents, commerce, education and government. By the first half of the 20th century, the Baltic Germans were, until after World War II, along with theTransylvanian Saxonsand theZipser Germans(in Romania and Slovakia respectively), one of the three oldest continuouslyGerman-speakingand ethnic German groups of theGerman diasporain Europe.
The majority of medieval Catholic settlers and their German-speaking descendants lived in the local towns ofmedieval Livonia. However, a small wealthy elite formed theBaltic nobility, acquiring large rural estates. When Sweden had ceded its Livonian territories to theRussian Empireafter theGreat Northern War(1700–1721), many of these German-speaking aristocrats began taking high positions in the military, political and civilian life of theRussian Empire, particularly in its capital citySaint Petersburg. Most Baltic Germans were citizens of the Russian Empire until Estonia and Latvia achieved independence in 1918. Thereafter, most Baltic Germans held Estonian or Latvian citizenship until theircoerced resettlementtoNazi Germanyin 1939, prior to the Soviet invasion and occupation of Estonia and Latvia in 1940.
The Baltic German population never surpassed more than 10% of the total population.In 1881, there were 180,000 Baltic Germans in Russia's Baltic provinces; however, by 1914, this number had declined to 162,000.In 1881 there were approximately 46,700 Germans inEstonia(5.3% of the population).According to theRussian Empire Censusof 1897, there were 120,191 Germans inLatvia, or 6.2% of the population.
Baltic German presence in the Baltics came effectively close to an end in late 1939, following the signing of theMolotov–Ribbentrop Pactand the subsequentNazi–Soviet population transfers.Nazi Germanyresettled almost all the Baltic Germans under theHeim ins Reichprogram into the newly formedReichsgaueofWarthelandandDanzig-West Prussia(on the territory of the occupiedSecond Polish Republic). In 1945, most ethnic Germans wereexpelledfrom these lands as part of the widerexpulsion of Germansfrom Central and Eastern Europe after World War II. Resettlement was planned by theAlliesfor the territory remaining under Germany under terms of the border changes promulgated at thePotsdam Conference, i.e. west of theOder–Neisse line.
Ethnic Germans fromEast Prussiaand Lithuania are sometimes incorrectly considered Baltic Germans for reasons of cultural, linguistic, and historical affinities. Germans ofEast Prussiaheld Prussian, and after 1871,German citizenship, because the territory they lived in was part of theKingdom of Prussia.
Baltic Germans were not a purely German ethnic group. The early crusaders, tradesmen and craftsmen often married local women, as there were no German women available. Some noble families, such as theLievens, claimed descent through such women from native chieftains. Many of the GermanLivonian-Ordersoldiers died during theLivonian Warof 1558–1583. New German arrivals came to the area. During this time, theLow German(Plattdeutsch) of the original settlers was gradually replaced by theHigh German(Hochdeutsch) of the new settlers.
In the course of their 700-year history, Baltic German families had ethnic German roots, but also intermarried extensively with Estonians, Livonians and Latvians, as well as with other Northern or Central European peoples, such as Danes, Swedes, Irish, English, Scots, Poles, Hungarians and Dutch. In cases where intermarriage occurred, members of the other ethnic groups frequently assimilated into German culture, adopting German language, customs, and family names. They were then considered Germans, leading to theethnogenesisof the Baltic Germans. The families ofBarclay de Tollyand ofGeorge Armitstead(1847–1912), who had emigrated from the British Isles, married into and became part of the Baltic-German community.
Baltic German settlements in the Baltic area consisted of the following territories:
Small numbers ofethnic Germansbegan to settle in the area in the late 12th century, when traders and Christian missionaries began to visit the coastal lands inhabited by tribes who spokeFinnicandBaltic languages. Systematic conquest and settlement of these lands was completed during theNorthern Crusadesof the 12th and 13th centuries; this resulted in creation of theTerra Marianaconfederation, under the protection of Roman Popes andHoly Roman Empire. After the heavy defeat in the 1236Battle of SauletheLivonian Brothers of the Swordbecame a part of theTeutonic Order.
During the next three centuries, German-speaking soldiers, clergymen, merchants and craftsmen constituted the majority of the quickly growing urban population, as the native inhabitants usually were prohibited from settling there. In 1230, theLivonian Orderinvited over 200 German merchants fromGotlandto settle inTallinnwhere they founded a market town.Membership in theHanseatic Leagueand active trade links with Russia and Europe increased the wealth of German traders.
As the military power of the Teutonic Knights weakened during the 15th century wars with theKingdom of Poland,Grand Duchy of LithuaniaandGrand Duchy of Moscow, the Livonian branch in the north began to pursue its own policies. When the Prussian branch of the Order secularized in 1525 and became a Polish vassal state as theDuchy of Prussia, the Livonian branch remained independent while searching for a similar way to secularize. Livonia became mostly Protestant during theReformation.
In 1558, theTsardom of Russiabegan theLivonian WaragainstTerra Marianawhich soon involved the Kingdoms of Poland, Sweden, and Denmark and lasted for 20 years. In 1561, Terra Mariana ceased to exist and was divided among Denmark (which took the island ofÖsel), Sweden (which took northern Estonia) and Poland, which annexed the newly createdDuchy of Livonia, and granted theDuchy of Courland and Semigallia, a vassal state of Poland-Lithuania, to the last Master of the Livonian OrderGotthard Kettler. The secularized land was divided among the remaining knights who formed the basis ofBaltic nobility.
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia existed as a German-speaking country until 1795, while the northern part of Duchy of Livonia was conquered by Sweden which controlledparts of Estoniabetween 1561 and 1710 andSwedish Livoniabetween 1621 and 1710, having signed an agreement with the local Baltic German nobles not to undermine their political rights and autonomy.
TheAcademia Gustaviana(nowUniversity of Tartu) was founded in 1632 by KingGustavus II Adolphusof Sweden. It remained the only institution of higher education in the former Livonian territories and became the intellectual focus of the Baltic Germans.
At the end of the 17th century, Sweden introduced the landreductionin its Baltic provinces and properties held by German nobility became the property ofthe Crown. That effectively turned serfs into free peasants. However, it would be overturned when Russia conquered these territories in 1710 and restored the rights of German landowners under theTreaty of Nystad.
Between 1710 and 1795, following Russia's success in theGreat Northern Warand the threePartitions of Poland, the areas inhabited by Baltic Germans eventually becameBaltic governoratesof theRussian Empire:Courland Governorate,Governorate of LivoniaandGovernorate of Estonia.
The Baltic provinces remained autonomous and were self-governed by the localBaltic nobility. Until the imperial reforms of the 1880s, local government was in the hands of thelandtagof each province, in which only members of the matriculatedBaltic nobilityheld membership and cities were ruled by Germanburgomasters.
Between 1710 and approximately 1880, the Baltic German ruling class enjoyed great autonomy from the Imperial government and achieved great political influence in the Imperial court. Starting from the 18th century, the Baltic German nobility also assumed some leading posts in the Russian imperial government.
Germans, other than the local estate-owners, mainly lived in the cities, such asRiga,Reval,Dorpat,PernauandMitau. As late as the mid-19th century, the population of many of these cities still had a German majority, with Estonian, Latvian or Jewish minorities. By 1867,Riga's population was 42.9% German.Until the late 19th century, most of the professional and learned classes in the region, theliterati, were Germans.
German political andcultural autonomyceased in the 1880s, whenRussificationreplaced German administration and schooling with the usage ofRussian. After 1885 provincial governors usually were Russians.
Years of peace under Russian rule brought increasing prosperity and many new manor houses were built on country estates, but economic exploitation worsened the situation of the native population.
For examples, seeList of palaces and manor houses in LatviaandList of palaces and manor houses in Estonia.
The nativeLatvianandEstonianpopulation enjoyed fewer rights under the Baltic German nobility compared with farmers in Germany or Sweden. In contrast to the Baltic Germans, Estonians and Latvians had restrictedcivil rightsand resided mostly in rural areas asserfs, tradesmen, or as servants in manors and urban homes. They had no rights to leave their masters and no surnames. This was in keeping with the social scheme of things inRussian Empire. It lasted until the 19th century, whenemancipationfromserfdombrought those inhabitants increased civil freedoms and some political rights.
In 1804, Livonian peasant law was introduced by the Imperial government, aimed at improving conditions for serfs. Serfdom was abolished in all Baltic provinces between 1816 and 1820, about half a century earlier than in Russia proper. For some time, there was no outward tension between the German speakers and indigenous residents.
Earlier, if any Latvian or Estonian who managed to rise above his class was expected to Germanize and to forget his roots, by the mid-19th century German urban classes began to feel increasing competition from the natives, who afterthe First Latvian National AwakeningandEstonian national awakeningproduced their own middle class and moved to German- and Jewish-dominated towns and cities in increasing numbers.
TheRevolution of 1905led to attacks against the Baltic German landowners, the burning of manors, and the torture and even killing of members of the nobility. During the 1905 Revolution groups of rebels burned over 400 manor houses and German-owned buildings and killed 82 Germans. In response Cossack punitive expeditions aided by German nobles and officers burned down hundreds of farms, arrested and deported thousands and summarily executed at least 2,000 people.
Reaction to 1905 Revolution included a scheme by Karl Baron von Manteuffel-Szoege and Silvio Broedrich-Kurmahlen to pacify the countryside by settling up to 20,000 ethnic German farmers, mostly fromVolhynia, in Courland.
World War I brought the end of the alliance of the Baltic Germans and the Russian Tsarist government. German heritage led to their being viewed as the enemy byRussians. They were also seen as traitors by theGerman Empireif they remained loyal to Russia. Their loyalty to the state was questioned, and rumours of a Germanfifth columnincreased with the defeats of the Imperial army led by Baltic German generalPaul von Rennenkampf. All German schools and societies were closed in the Estonian Governorate and Germans were ordered to leave the Courland Governorate for inner Russia.
Courland was conquered by Germany in 1915 and included into the militaryOber Ostadministration. After the Russian surrender at theTreaty of Brest-Litovskin 1918, theGerman Empireoccupied the remaining Baltic provinces.
TheOber Ostmilitary administration began plans for German colonization of Courland. On April 20, 1917, the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern front announced that a third of arable land there should be reserved for settlement by German war veterans. This was approved by Courland's German nobility on September 22, 1917.
Livonian and Estonian nobles delivered a note of independence to Soviet representatives in Stockholm on January 28, 1918, announcing their intention to break away from Russia under the rights granted to them by theTreaty of Nystadof 1721. In response, the Bolsheviks, who controlled Estonia, arrested 567 leading Germans and deported them to Russia. After the signing of theTreaty of Brest-Litovskthey were allowed to return. Under German-Soviet treaties, Germany gained control over Courland, Riga, Saaremaa (Ösel), Livonia and Estonia.
In the spring of 1918, Baltic Germans announced the restoration of the independentDuchy of Courland and Semigalliaand pursued plans for uniting it with theKingdom of Prussia. On April 12, 1918, Baltic German representatives from all Baltic provinces met in Riga and called on the German Emperor to annex the Baltic lands.
Subsequently, a plan for aUnited Baltic Duchyruled byDuke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg, instead of outright annexation, was developed. Its regency council met on November 9, 1918, but collapsed with the German Empire.
The Baltic Germans' rule and class privileges came to the end with the demise of the Russian Empire (due to theBolshevik revolutionof October 1917) and the independence ofEstoniaandLatviain 1918–1919.
Baltic Germans suffered greatly under Bolshevik regimes in Estonia and Latvia. While the Bolshevik regimes were short-lived, they pursued theRed Terroragainst Germans, often killing them purely because of their nationality.
After the collapse of the German Empire, Baltic Germans in Estonia began forming volunteer units to defend against the Bolshevik threat. On November 27, 1918 this was authorized by the Estonian government, and the Volunteer Baltic Battalion (Freiwilligen Baltenbataillon) was formed under the command of ColonelConstantin von Weiss(de).
During the Estonian and Latvian wars of independence from 1918 to 1920, many Baltic Germans voluntarily enlisted in the newly formed Estonian and Latvian armies to help secure the independence of these countries from Russia. These Baltic German military units became known as theBaltische Landeswehrin Latvia andBaltenregiment(de)in Estonia. The State archives of Estonia and Latvia keep individual military records of each person who fought in this war.
Baltische Landeswehrunits took Riga on May 22, 1919 which was followed by White Terror in which up to 2,000 people, mostly Latvians, were shot as suspected Bolshevik supporters.
Baltic German outlying estates were frequent targets of local Bolsheviks (as portrayed in the film,Coup de Grâce) and the combination of local Bolsheviks and nationalists following independence brought about land nationalisations and a displacement of Baltic Germans from positions of authority. Baltic Germans of the Livonian Governorate found themselves in two new countries, both of which introduced sweeping agrarian reforms aimed at the large land owners, an absolute majority of whom were Germans.
As a result of theRussian Revolution of 1917and the subsequentRussian Civil War, many Baltic Germans fled to Germany. After 1919, many Baltic Germans felt obliged to depart the newly independent states forGermany, but many stayed as ordinary citizens.
In 1925, there were 70,964 Germans in Latvia (3.6%) and 62,144 in 1935 (3.2% of population). Riga remained by far the largest German center with 38,523 Germans residing there in 1935, while Tallinn then had 6,575 Germans.
While the German landed class soon lost most of their lands after the agrarian reforms, they continued to work in their professions and to lead their companies. German cultural autonomy was respected.TheCommittee of the German Baltic Partiesin Latvia andDeutsch-baltische Partei in Estlandin Estonia participated in elections and won seats.
At the same time, as both young states built their institutions, this often reduced the status of their minorities. In Latvia, children of mixed marriages were registered as Latvians while in Estonia they took the nationality of their fathers, who increasingly were Estonians. This quickly reduced the number of German children. German place names were eliminated from public use. German congregations lost their churches.Tallinn Cathedralwas given to an Estonian congregation in 1927.After the 1923 referendumSt. James's Cathedralin Riga was lost andRiga Cathedraltaken away after anotherreferendum in 1931.
At the start of independence, Baltic Germans owned 58% of land in Estonia and 48% in Latvia. Radicalagrarian reformswere implemented in both countries to break German power and to distribute land to the veterans of independence wars and landless peasants. This largely destroyed the landed class of German noble families and their economic base.
On October 10, 1919, the Estonian parliament expropriated 1,065 estates (96.6% of all estates). The law of March 1, 1926 set the compensation to the former owners of arable land at about 3% of its market value and no compensation at all for the forests. This almost instantly bankrupted the German noble class, even if they were allowed to keep some 50 hectares of their lands.
On September 16, 1920, theConstitutional Assembly of Latvianationalized 1,300 estates comprising 3.7million hectares of land. Former German owners were allowed to keep 50 hectares of land and farm equipment. In 1924, theSaeimadecided that no compensation would be paid to former owners. In 1929, the Saeima voted that veterans of theBaltische Landeswehrcould not receive any land.
In Estonia, there was only one German party, which from 1926 was led byAxel de Vries(de), editor ofRevaler Bote. Their leading parliamentarian was Werner Hasselblatt (1890–1958). Germans never received ministerial posts in governments. The three largest minorities – Germans, Swedes and Russians – sometimes formed election coalitions. TheDeutsch-baltische Partei in Estlandwas established to defend the interests of German landowners, who wanted to receive compensation for their nationalized lands and properties. After land nationalization they received no compensation, but could keep plots up to 50 hectares, which was not enough to support their manor houses.
Germans were banned from governmental and military positions. Many Germans sold their properties and emigrated to Scandinavia or Western Europe. Most of the grand manor houses were taken over by schools, hospitals, local administration and museums.
Estonia's Baltic German population was smaller than Latvia's, so as Estonians continued to fill professional positions such as law and medicine, there was less of a leadership role for the Baltic Germans. Baron WilhelmWrangell, leader of the Baltic German cultural association between 1933 and 1938 was included in the Estonian Council of State after 1937 as a token representative of minorities. The last leader of Baltic German Cultural administration wasHellmuth Weiss.
On February 12, 1925, Estonia adopted the Cultural Autonomy and National Minorities Act, which provided for some cultural autonomy of Germans. Despite this, the German community in Estonia continued to decline as the majority of young people chose to emigrate. By 1934, there were 16,346 Baltic Germans in Estonia, 1.5% of the total population.
Estonia allowed German schools to teach in the German language. These schools were overseen by theGesellschaft Deutsche Schulhilfe, which was part of the Union of German Societies in Estonia. After adoption of the Minority law of February 5, 1925 the Baltic German Cultural Council was created on November 1, 1925. In 1928, German schools were attended by 3,456 pupils.
In Latvia, Baltic Germans remained a politically active and organized ethnic group, although they lost some influence after the1934 Latvian coup d'état. A couple of times Germans received ministerial posts in coalition governments. The commander of Latvia's Navy between 1919 and 1931 was Admiral Archibald Count ofKeyserlingk.
Six, later seven, German parties existed and formed a coalition in theSaeima. The leading politicians were Baron Wilhelm Friedrich Karl von Fircks, leader of the Baltic-German People's Party andPaul Schiemann, editor-in-chief of theRigasche Rundschaunewspaper and leader of the Baltic-German Democratic Party. Increased activity of National Socialist supporters in the German community led to the resignation of Schiemann from theRigasche Rundschauin 1933.
Minority cultural affairs were overseen by the Ministry of Culture and the German section was led by pastor Karl Keller (1868–1939) and later by Wolfgang Wachtsmuth. In 1923, there were 12,168 pupils in German schools. The Herder Institute, a private German university with three faculties (Theology, Jurisprudence and Political Science and Philosophy) was established.
In 1926, the German community introduced voluntary self-taxation, asking all Germans to contribute up to 3% of their monthly income to community activities. In 1928, the Baltic German National Community was established as the central representative body of Baltic Germans in Latvia.
The educational autonomy of Germans was severely limited in 1931–1933, when the Minister of EducationAtis Ķeniņšintroduced a policy of latvianization in minority schools. On July 18, 1934 the autonomous German schools were brought under complete control of the Ministry of Education.
After the coup of May 15, 1934, all associations and independent business organizations had to shut down. This affected the German community especially hard, as they lost their ancient communal centers –guilds, and all of their property was nationalized. A wave of takeovers of Jewish, Russian and German businesses then followed; banks, factories and trading companies were purchased by state-owned banks at set rates in order to reduce minority control over businesses.
In 1940, Estonia and Latvia became Soviet republics. One of the main conditions imposed byHitleronStalinin August 1939 was the prior transfer of all ethnic Germans living in Estonia and Latvia to areas under German military control.These became known as theNazi–Soviet population transfers. Stalin proceeded to set up Soviet military bases in Estonia and Latvia in late 1939.
In a speech to theReichstagon October 6, 1939, which was broadcast live on radio, Hitler announced that German minorities should be resettled in the Reich (Back home to the Reich,Heim ins Reich). Resettlement was overseen byHimmlerwho created a new Reich Commisariat for the Strengthening of Germandom for this purpose.
Treaties were signed with Estonia and Latvia in 1939 and 1940 concerning the emigration of Baltic Germans and the liquidation of their educational, cultural, and religious institutions. Nazi Germany succeeded in getting the Baltic Germans to abandon their homes and homeland in haste. Due to the imposition of wartime rationing, Germans were banned from taking along any valuables, objects of historic value, fuels and even food. A massive sell-off of household items and small businesses followed. Larger properties, real estate and businesses were sold over a longer period of time by a special German commission to local governments.
The Estonian and Latvian governments published books containing alphabetical lists of the names of resettled Baltic German adults together with their birthdate, birthplace and last address in the Baltics.
Baltic Germans left by ships from the port cities of Estonia and Latvia to the ports ofGdyniaandSzczecinand then were transported toPoznańandŁódźinReichsgau Wartheland(sometimes calledWarthegau) and otherPolish areas annexed by Nazi Germany. The "new" homes and farms they were given to live in had been owned and inhabited by Poles and Jews just a few months earlier who were executed or deported eastwards when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. The new arrivals fulfilled Nazi plans for the ethnic Germanization of these lands.
In early 1941, the Nazi German government arranged another resettlement for all those who had refused to leave in 1939 or 1940. The action was called theNachumsiedlung. This time around no compensation was offered for any property or belongings left behind and this group of resettlers were treated with intense suspicion or considered traitors because they had refused Hitler's first call to leave the Baltics in 1939. Most of these arrivals were first settled in filtration camps. Unknown to the general public, theNazi invasion of the Soviet Unionwas only two to four months away, and this was Hitler's last chance to transfer these people in peacetime conditions.
By this time, the remaining Baltic Germans in Estonia and Latvia found themselves in a vastly different situation than in 1939. Their countries were now occupied by the Soviet Union, and intense pressure and intimidation had been put on anyone with a position of privilege or wealth before 1939. Mass arrests and some killings had taken place. Fearing a worsening of the situation, the vast majority of the remaining Baltic Germans decided to leave. About 7,000 resettled from Estonia by late March 1941, and approximately 10,500 resettled from Latvia by late March 1941. Even though the German government had planned a relocation that would be limited to ethnic Germans only, ultimately a considerable share of resettlers were non-Germans of various ethnicities (mostly Estonians and Latvians, but also individuals of Slavic ethnicity), who used this as the only legal route to escape the Soviet regime.
No books were published listing those who resettled in 1941; however, the present-day archives of Estonia and Latvia still have the lists of all those who left in this year.
A very small minority of Baltic Germans refused again to be resettled and remained in the Baltics past March 1941. Some fell victim to theSoviet deportationsto Siberiangulagsbeginning in early June 1941. The names and data of those deported from Estonia from 1941 to 1953 have been published in books. Details are kept at theMuseum of Occupationsin Estonia.
After the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union and the conquest of Latvia and Estonia, a small number of Baltic Germans were allowed to return in order to serve as translators, but requests of many resettled Germans to be allowed to return to their homelands were denied by Himmler'sSS. Many German Baltic men were mobilized in the occupied Warthegau and served in the German army.
The resettled Germans fled west with the retreating German army in 1944. No precise numbers or lists are available for them. However, several thousand Baltic Germans remained in the Baltics after 1944, but they were subject to widespread discrimination (and possible deportation to Siberia until 1953) by the Soviet authorities ruling Estonia and Latvia. As a result of this, many hid or lied about their Baltic German origins. Most of those who stayed after 1944 were children of mixed ethnic marriages or themselves married to ethnic Estonians, Latvians or Russians and their descendants no longer consider themselves German.
The Soviet Union's advance into Poland and Germany in late 1944 and early 1945 resulted in the Baltic Germans being evacuated by the German authorities (or simply fleeing) from their "new homes" to areas even further in the west to escape the advancingRed Army. Most of them settled inWest Germany, with some ending up inEast Germany.
In stark contrast to the resettlements in 1939–1941, this time the evacuation in most of the areas was delayed until the last moment, when it was too late to conduct it in an orderly fashion, and practically all of them had to leave most of their belongings behind. Seeing as they had been living in these "new" homes only for about five years, this was almost seen as a second forced resettlement for them, albeit under different circumstances.
Many Baltic Germans were on board theKdF ShipWilhelm Gustloffwhen it was sunk by a Soviet submarine on January 30, 1945. By one estimate,about 9,400 people on board died, which would make it the largest loss of life in a single ship sinkingin history. Additionally, many Baltic Germans died during the sinking of theSSGeneral von Steubenon February 10, 1945.
Two books listing the names and personal data of all Baltic Germans who died as a result of the resettlements and wartime conditions between 1939 and 1947 have been published by the Baltic German genealogical society:Deutsch-baltisches Gedenkbuch. Unsere Toten der Jahre 1939–1947by Karin von Borbély, Darmstadt, 1991; andNachtrag zum Deutsch-baltisches Gedenkbuchby Karin von Borbély, Darmstadt, 1995.
With Estonia and Latvia falling under Soviet rule after 1944, most Baltic Germans did not return to the Soviet-occupied Baltics.
Many thousands of Baltic Germans emigrated toCanadastarting in 1948 with the support of CanadianGovernor GeneralThe Earl Alexander of Tunis, who had known many Baltic Germans when he had commanded theBaltic German Landeswehrfor a short time in 1919. Initially, only 12 Germans were allowed to settle in 1948. Based on the good behavior of this group, many thousands of Baltic Germans were soon allowed to immigrate during the following years.
A small group ofLatvians and Baltic Germansemigrated to Newfoundland as part of then Premier Joseph Smallwood's New Industries Program. Several families in Corner Brook built, operated and worked in the cement and gypsum plants that provided essential material for the creation of Newfoundland's infrastructure after Confederation.
During the Soviet Baltic time, Soviet authorities governing theEstonian SSRand theLatvian SSR, politically empowered by their victory inWorld War II, were keen to erase any traces of ethnic German rule in past centuries.Numerous statues, monuments, structures or landmarks with German writing were destroyed, vandalized or left to ruin.
The largest Baltic German cemeteries in Estonia,Kopli cemeteryandMõigu cemetery, both standing since 1774, were completely destroyed by the Soviet authorities. TheGreat Cemeteryof Riga, the largest burial ground of Baltic Germans in Latvia, standing since 1773, also had the vast majority of its graves destroyed by the Soviets.
The present-day governments of Estonia and Latvia, who regained their independence in 1991, generally take a positive, or sometimes neutral, view towards the contributions of the Baltic Germans in the development of their cities and countries throughout their history. An occasional exception to this comes with some criticism in relation to the major landowners, who controlled most of the rural areas of the Baltics, and the ethnic Estonians and Latvians, until 1918.
After Estonia regained independence from theSoviet Unionon August 20, 1991, the exiled association of the German Baltic nobility sent an official message to the president-to-beLennart Merithat no member of the association would claim proprietary rights to their former Estonian lands. This, and the fact that the first German ambassadors toEstoniaandLatviawere both Baltic Germans, helped to further reconcile the Baltic Germans with these two countries.
Cooperation between Baltic German societies and the governments of Estonia and Latvia has made the restoration of many small Baltic German plaques and landmarks possible, such as monuments to those who fought in the 1918–1920 War of Independence.
Since 1989, many elderly Baltic Germans, or their descendants, have taken holidays to Estonia and Latvia to look for traces of their own past, their ancestral homes, and their family histories. Most of the remaining manor houses have new owners, and operate as hotels that are open to the public.
Baltic Germans played leading roles in the society of what are now Estonia and Latvia throughout most of the period from 13th to mid-20th century, with many of them becoming noted scientists, includingKarl Ernst von Baer,Emil Lenz,andFriedrich Zanderand explorers, such asFabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen,Adam Johann von Krusenstern,Ferdinand von WrangelandOtto Schmidt. A number of Baltic Germans served as ranking generals in theRussian Imperial ArmyandNavy, includingMichael Andreas Barclay de Tolly,Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden,Paul von RennenkampfandFranz Eduard von Totleben.
Many Baltic Germans, such as BaronPyotr Wrangel,Baron Ungern,Eugen Müllerand PrinceAnatol von Lieven, sided with theWhitesand related anti-Bolshevik forces (like theBaltische Landeswehrand theFreikorpsmovement) during theRussian Civil War.