The Baltic Question in West German Politics, 1949–90

Abstract

While previous research by international lawyers has emphasized Bonn's value-neutral legalistic approach to the Baltic question from 1949 to 1990, this article–based on documents from the German Foreign Ministry archives–shows that the West Germans saw the Baltic issue as a political problem that interfered with their highest national aim: German unification. It addresses the following questions: first, why Bonn never made an official announcement of, and never publicly gave a justification for, its stance on the Baltic question; and second, why Bonn granted Baltic refugees the same rights that it offered other Heimat-less foreigners, whereas the remnants of Baltic diplomatic services or self-proclaimed exile governments found no official recognition in Germany. Finally, it comments on the role of the so-called German Balts in West German politics, and in Bonn's Baltic policies specifically.

Keywords:

• German Balts
• Baltic exiles (refugee displaced persons)
• West Germany
• non-recognition policy
• expellees
• German question: Baltic States

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the editor and Paul Readman, and especially former ambassador Henning von Wistinghausen for reading an earlier draft and for sharing invaluable insights into German Balts’ activities as well as his views on policies and personnel of the Auswärtiges Amt.

Notes

Notes

1.  N.B. Boris Meissner–a German Balt and law professor–was a civil servant in the Auswärtige Amt in 1953–56 and 1958–59, and at the German embassy in Moscow between 1956 and 1958. His scholarship is based on published materials in conjunction with first-hand knowledge gained while working in the AA.

2.  Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin: [B]estand11/[B]an[d].570, ‘Bundesminister des Inneren [henceforth BminI] (3.8.1951)’; ‘BminI (12.9.1952)’. See also reference to letter of AA to Senator für Justiz in Berlin of 21 April 1953 in ‘Anlage: Die völkerrechtliche Stellung … (6.4.1954)’.

3.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Anlage: Die völkerrechtliche Stellung … (6.4.1954)’; ‘Stellungnahme … vom 6. April 1954 (12.4.1954)’.

4.  B38-IIA1/Bd.33, ‘Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist der einzig rechtmäβige deutsche Staat (undated)’; B38-IIA1/Bd.694, ‘Bezeichnungsrichtlinien … Juli 1965’.

5.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Anlage: Die völkerrechtliche Stellung … (6.4.1954)’.

6.  B11/Bd.570, ‘BminI (12.9.1952)’. See Meissner (1995, p. 220).

7.  B11/Bd.570, ‘BminI (12.9.1952)’; ‘AA an alle diplomatischen und konsularischen Vertretungen im Ausland (27.9.1952)’.

8.  Germany was reproached for its reserved position by former Estonian foreign minister Pusta. B12/Bd. 449, ‘Bot. Paris an AA (12.3.1954)’; ‘Aufzeichnung, (13.12.1951)’. B11/Bd.570, ‘Aufzeichnung (3.1.1952)’; ‘Abt III and StS, (3.2.1952)’. Cf. B11/Bd.570, ‘by Kossmann (14.2.1953)’.

9.  B11/Bd.570, ‘StS an v. Brentano (9.8.1954)’.

10.  B11/Bd.550, ‘Aufzeichnung (9.9.1950)’; ‘Vereinigter Litauischer Unterstützungsfonds (11.5.1951)’; ‘Konzept (30.7.1951)’; ‘Die heimatlosen Ausländer im Bundesgebiet (undated)’.

11.  B12/Bd.449, ‘by Zarins (22.10.1951)’; ‘Vereinigter Litauischer Unterstützungsfonds (11.5.1951)’. B11/Bd.550, ‘Konzept (30.7.1951)’. B11/Bd.560, ‘Aufzeichnung (30.11.1950)’; ‘Kossmann, Vermerk (8.6.1951)’; ‘Kossmann, Aufzeichnug (3.2.1952)’.

12.  B11/Bd.567, ‘Schlange-Schöningen (8.10.1951)’; B11/Bd.560, ‘Aufzeichnung (30.11.1950)’.

13.  B12/Bd.449, ‘Aufzeichnung (13.12.1951)’.

14.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Abteilung III an StS (3.2.1952)’.

15.  B11/Bd.568, ‘Kossmann, Vermerk (1.2.1952)’.

16.  B11/Bd.568, ‘Kossmann, Vermerk (1.2.1952)’.

17.  B11/Bd.568, ‘Hallstein an Brentano (sent 19.5.1952)’; ‘Etzdorf, Aufzeichnung (12.1.1952)’. B11/Bd.567, ‘Etzdorf [meeting with Liepiņš] (18.6.1952)’.

18.  B11/Bd.569, ‘Entwurf: Vermerk (28.3.1953)’.

19.  B11/Bd.567, ‘Kossmann an GK London (6.6.1952)’.

20.  On Selter's case, B11/Bd.560, ‘Aufzeichnung (30.11.1950)’; ‘Vermerk–Betr.: Estnische Emigration (8.6.1951)’; ‘Vermerk (23.5.1951)’; ‘Abt. III signed Etzdorf (28.12.1951)’; ‘Aufzeichnung (3.1.1952)’; ‘Vermerk: Besuch Selter (16.4.1952)’; ‘Kossmann an Generalkonsulat London (11.6.1952)’. On Liepiņš, B11/Bd.567, ‘Kossmann an Generalkonsulat, London (6.6.1952)’; ‘Etzdorf (18.6.1952)’. On Lithuania, B11/Bd.568, ‘Blankenhorn, Aufzeichnung (22.12.1950)’; ‘Dittmann an Krupavicius (9.4.1951)’; ‘Stellungahme (2.4.1951 date crossed out)’ [NB. letter sent on 9.4.1951]; ‘Aufzeichnug (8.10.1951)’; ‘Aufzeichnung (11.1.1952)’; ‘Aufzeichnung (25.4.1952)’.

21.  B11/Bd.569, ‘Bräutigam an Rom (9.4.1953)’; ‘Bräutigam an Rom (13.10.1953)’.

22.  B11/Bd.569, ‘Karvelis an Kossmann AA (9.10.1952)’.

23.  B11/Bd.568, ‘Aufzeichnung an Blankenhorn (22.12.1950)’; ‘Hallstein an Krupavicius (9.4.1951)’.

24.  B11/Bd.550, ‘Vermerk–Betr: Heimatlose Ausländer (11.3.1952)’.

25.  B11/Bd.569, ‘Ivinskis an Kossmann AA (30.8.1952)’.

26.  B11/Bd.569, ‘Aufzeichnung (26.8.1953)’; ‘Bräutigam an Rom (13.10.1953)’.

27.  B12/Bd.449, ‘Lettische Emigration (12.5.1955)’.

28.  B11/Bd.560, ‘Etzdorf (28.12.1951)’.

29.  B11/Bd.550, ‘Von Trützschler an Dr Kossmann + Anlage (10.4.1951)’. See also B11/Bd.567, ‘Die lettische Emigration …’.

30.  B11/Bd.550, ‘Aufzeichnung (9.9.1950)’.

31.  German Balts in high AA positions included Meissner, Meyer-Landrut, von Stackelberg, von Staden, von Wistinghausen, and Graf Lambsdorff.

32.  In the VdL leadership were CSU parliamentarian Baron Georg Manteuffel-Szoege and FDP MP Axel de Vries, both German Balts.

33.  On the Deutsch-Baltische Landsmannschaft and their aims, see http://www.deutsch-balten.de/seiten/01-wir_ueber_uns/02-aufgaben/01-fruehere/index.php, accessed 6 June 2005. A cultural society without any political ambition was the Verband Baltischer Ritterschaften e.V. (founded in 1949) of the German Baltic nobility; see http://www.baltische-ritterschaften.de/, accessed 5 August 2006.

34.  B81/Bd.338. In view of resettlements, the German Balts can be divided into two groups: (1) the majority that were first resettled from Estonia and Latvia to the Reich's eastern territories, specifically the Warthegau, as a consequence of Hitler's ‘Heim ins Reich’ call in autumn 1939, and then endured forced expulsion at the end of the Second World War from what was now Poland to West Germany; (2) those who as so-called Nachumsiedler resettled from the Baltic to Germany after 1941.

35.  B11/Bd.550, ‘Hasselblatt an Kordt (26.8.1950)’; ‘Vereinigter Litauischer Unterstützungsfonds (11.5.1951)’; ‘Konzept (30.7.1951)’.

36.  N.B. Relations with Estonian emigrant organizations were somewhat complicated in 1953, with the emergence of competing self-declared exile governments: one led by August Rei in Norway, and a ‘counter’ one led by Alfred Maurer in West Germany. While the former group would last, the latter disappeared with its leader's death in 1954. West Germany–just like its Western allies–recognized neither of the two ‘exile governments’ as legitimate representatives of Estonia (Mälksoo 2000). B11/Bd.560, ‘Estnische Exilegierung in Schweden (12.1.1953)’; ‘Vermerk zu 212-14/20 III 8840/53 (undated)’; ‘de Vries an Kossmann (19.5.1953)’; ‘Estnische Exilgruppen (21.7.1953)’. B11/Bd.570, ‘AA and Brentano (9.8.1954)’. See also: http://www.edk.edu.ee/default.asp?object_id=6&id=30&site_id=2, accessed 5 August 2006.

37.  B11/Bd.560, ‘Aufzeichnung (30.11.1950)’; ‘v. Maydell, Vermerk (23.5.1951)’; ‘Kossmann: Vermerk (8.6.1951)’; ‘Kaiv and Krekeler (10.11.1951)’; ‘Etzdorf, (28.12.1951)’; ‘Kossmann, Aufzeichnung (3.1.1952)’; ‘Vermerk (16.4.1952)’; ‘Kossmann an GK London (11.6.1952)’; B12/Bd.449, ‘Zarins an Schlange-Schöningen (22.10.1951)’.

38.  B11/Bd.569, ‘Diplomatic Representatives … from June 27–30, 1952’.

39.  B12/Bd.449, ‘Rom an AA (29.5.1954)’.

40.  B12/Bd. 449, ‘Schaffarczyk an Dr. Kossmann (23.3.1953)’; ‘von Maydell an Schffarczyk … Anfrage vom 23.3.1953’; ‘Aide Memoir (27.3.1953)’; ‘Rom an AA (29.5.1954)’. B11/Bd.406, ‘Schlange-Schöningen an AA (19.2.1954)’. B11/Bd.433, ‘Ottawa an AA (19.5.1954)’. B11/Bd.474, ‘Bot. Washington (2.12.1953)’. B12/Bd.449, ‘Paris an AA (12.3.1954)’.

41.  B12/Bd.449, ‘Bräutigam an Skirpa (13.7.1953)’; ‘Rom an AA (18.7.1953)’; B11/Bd.570, ‘Stellungnahme (12.4.1954); ‘Aufzeichnung (18.5.1954)’; ‘Hackwitz an Referat 350 (2.11.1954)’; B12/Bd.449, ‘Litauische Anfrage (22.6.1954)’.

42.  B11/Bd.550, ‘Mitteilung (24.6.1952)’.

43.  B11/Bd.569, ‘AA an [B]undes[I]nnen[M]inisterium (undated, presumably June 1953)’.

44.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Bräutigam, Vermerk (8.7.1954)’; ‘Stellungnahme (12.4.1954)’.

45.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Vermerk (5.5.1954)’.

46.  B80/Bd.36, ‘Washington an AA (25.8.1952)’; B11/Bd.570, ‘Litauer in zwei Lager gespalten (17.7.1954)’; ‘Vermerk (5.5.1954)’; B12/Bd.449, ‘Pro Memoria, Lozoraitis (9.1.1952)’; ‘Rom an AA (29.5.1954)’; ‘Aufruf (20.5.1955)’. See also B11/Bd.570, ‘Vermerk (5.5.1954)’.

47.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Stellungnahme (12.8.1954)’; ‘ETLA (15.5.1954)’.

48.  On Potsdam and the border issue, see, for instance B11/Bd.289, ‘Meissner, Aufzeichnung–Betr.: Vorbehalte hinsichtlich östlicher Territorialfragen bei Augnahme diplomatischer Beziehungen zur Sowjetunion (27.6.1955)’. B11/Bd.651, ‘Auszüge aus dem Potsdamer Abkommen …’; ‘Entwurf–Merkblatt (undated, but other material is from 1953)’. See Münch (1976, p. 42).

49.  See also B11/Bd.567, ‘Etzdorf (18.6.1952)’.

50.  B11/Bd.567, ‘Etzdorf (18.6.1952)’; B11/Bd.568, ‘Stellungnahme (2.4.1951 date crossed out) [NB. letter sent on 9.4.1951]’; ‘Aufzeichung (8.10.1951)’; ‘Aufzeichnung (12.1.1952)’.

51.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Stellungnahme (12.4.1954)’. The latter point was made primarily with regard to the Lithuanians (i.e. the LVIK/Karvelis–Lozoraitis dispute).

52.  Ibid.

53.  Ibid.

54.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Stellungnahme (12.4.1954)’. B11/Bd.569, ‘Statement by Dulles … (30.11.1953)’; B11/Bd.474, ‘USA und Satellitenvölker (2.12 1953)’.

55.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Stellungnahme (12.4.1954)’.

56.  Ibid.

57.  B11/Bd.570, ‘Vermerk (29.11.1954)’; B11/Bd.556, ‘Aufzeichnung (29.7.1954)’; ‘by Bräutigam (21.10 1954)’.

58.  B12/Bd.449, ‘An Liepins (8.10.1954)’. As in previous correspondence, however, there was no mention of Bonn's non-recognition policy.

59.  Estnisch-Deutsche Gesellschaft, Deutsch-Lettische Gesellschaft and Deutsch-Litauische Gesellschaft. At the end of 1954 these united to form the Baltische Gesellschaft.

60.  B11/Bd.556, ‘Meissner (22.6.1954)’; B11/Bd.556, ‘de Vries an AA (22.6.1954)’. B12/Bd.449, ‘de Vries an Kossmann (22.11.1954)’.

61.  See Herbst (1996, pp. 126–59); Bender (1996, 29–55); Ahonen (2003, p. 119).

62.  B11/Bd.289, ‘Geheim! Meissner, Aufzeichung (23.6.1955)’; ‘Geheim! Meissner, Aufzeichnung (27.6.1955)’.

63.  B41/Bd.109, ‘Fragestunde am 7./9.10.1970, gez. Lahn (1.10.1970)’

64.  On Erstumsiedler, Nachumsiedler, and Memelländer, see B12/Bd.487, ‘Erklärung (September 1957)’. B12/Bd.495. B41/Bd.109, ‘Repatriierungserklärung (undated–April 1958)’.

65.  B12/Bd.495, ‘Moskau an AA (1.7.1960)’.

66.  B41/Bd.109 IIA4-81.12, ‘VS–NfD, Boldt (16.6.1970)’.

67.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Von Staden (12.10.1955)’; B12/Bd.449, ‘Bräutigam an v. Herwarth, (5.12.1955)’. See also B11/Bd.569, ‘AA an BIM (undated, June 1953)’.

68.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Von Staden (12.10.1955)’; B12/Bd.449, ‘Bräutigam (5.12.1955)’; B11/Bd.569, ‘AA an BIM (undated, June 1953)’; see also B39-IIA2/Bd.51, ‘Vermerk (27.11.1962)’; ‘Bock an Ref. V 3 [502] (22.3.1963)’; Karvelis an AA, Kopie (10.10.1962)’.

69.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Tagung (14.11.1956)’; ‘Sitzung … am 27.3.1957’.

70.  B39-IIA2/Bd.19, ‘BdV Präsident an BK (16.4.1962)’.

71.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Tagung … 22.10.56 (14.11.1956) + Sitzung … am 27.3.1957’.

72.  B12/Bd.449, ‘Bräutigam an Senator (4.1.1956)’. B41/Bd.13, ‘An Ref. V 5 (4.6.1965)’; ‘gez. Dr Hecker (7.7.1965)’; ‘by Dr Hecker (21.7.1965)’. See B41/Bd.77; B81/Bd.235. See also http://www.estemb.de/lang_6/rub_91/rub2_730, accessed 6 June 2005.

73.  B39-IIA 2/Bd.19, ‘Abt 2 an Ref. 314 (31.7.1956)’; ‘Newspaper report on “Freiheit …” [Tagung 20.9.1956] (7.10.1956)’.

74.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Die Exilmissionen (29.1.1959)’.

75.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Aufzeichnung (8.8.1960)’; ‘Reykjavik an AA (16.9.1959)’.

76.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Rio an AA (15.3.1961)’.

77.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Entschlieβung (5/1960)’; ‘Abt7 an Bundesminister (2.5.1960)’; ‘Ref. 704, Aufzeichnung (2.5.1960)’.

78.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Ref. 704 (5.8.1960)’; ‘Ref. 704, Aufzeichnung (20.8.1960)’. ‘Fernschreiben aus London Nr. 625 vom 9.8.1960’; ‘Fernschreiben aus Paris Nr. 779 vom 10.8.1960’; ‘Fernschreiben aus Brüssel Nr. 138 vom 19.8.1960’.

79.  B12/Bd.452, ‘Lage … (7.10.1960)’; ‘CoE … Resolution 189 (29.9.1960)’. B12/Bd.452, ‘Stellungnahme (27.9.1960)’.

80.  B40/Bd.61, ‘Moskau an AA (3.5.1963)’. For figures, see B41/Bd.109, ‘IIA4-81.12, gez. Effenberg (26.4.1971). Here it was highlighted that while there had been a decline in the Russian population in the Russian, Uzbek, Kazakh, Gruzia, Azerbaijani, Khirgis, Tadjik, Armenian and Turkmen SSRs, Russification was rising rapidly in the Baltic Republics. In 1959 there were 231,000 Russians in the Lithuanian SSR, in 1970 their numbers had increased to 268,000. In Latvia the figures were 556,000 to 705,000 and in Estonia 240,000 to 335,000.

81.  B41/Bd.64, ‘London an AA (10.3.1964)’; ‘London an AA (1.7.1965)’; ‘Fernschreiben aus London Nr. 981, 7.5.1966’; ‘Fernschreiben aus London Nr. 351, 17.2.1967’; ‘Blumenfeld AA an Bundesminister für Gesamtdeutsche Fragen (20.3.1967) + Abschrift’.

82.  B41/Bd.109, ‘Lozoraitis an Scheel (19.4.1970)’; ‘Lahm an Minister (20.5.1970)’; ‘Hofmann an Dg II A (22.5.1970)’; ‘Vermerk (9.6.1970)’; ‘Lahm an Lozoraitis–Entwurf (9.6.1970)’; ‘Baltischer Rat an Bundeskanzler (20.7.1970)’; ‘Ozolins an Brandt (20.7.1970)’; ‘Blumenfeld an New Farmers … (10.12.1970)’; ‘ENC, Memo, (9.7.1970)’; ‘AA an Grigulis (16.9.1970)’; ‘An Blumenfeld, Vermerk (18.9.1970)’.

83.  B41/Bd.109, ‘Fragestunde am 7./9.10.1970 (28.9.1970)’; Lahm–Ref. L1 (1.10.1970)’.

84.  Stenographische Berichte des Deutschen Bundestags 71. Sitzung vom 9. Oktober 1970, p. 3931.

85.  The latter initiative was promoted by German Balt Wolf von Kleist of the Baltische Briefe (a periodical of the Deutsch-Baltische Landsmannschaft).

86.  B41/Bd.107, ‘Blumenfeld (28.6.1972)’; ‘Von Kleist (23.6.1972)’; B41/Bd.109, ‘Meyer-Landrut (6.12.1972)’. Moreover, Vilnius remained under the responsibility of the German embassy in Moscow, primarily because of the Memel-German issue. See Meissner (1995, p. 225); von Wistinghausen (2004, pp. 3–12).

87.  B39-IIA2/Bd.61, ‘An Litauische Volksgemeinschaft (5.6.1973)’; ‘Ref. 211 an Ref. 213 (15.5.1973)’.

88.  B41/Bd.107, ‘Scheel (7.11.1972)’.

89.  B41/Bd.109, ‘Heiliger Stuhl an AA (30.5.1970)’; ‘Ereignisse in Litauen (29.8.1972)’; B41/Bd.107, ‘Botschaft Moskau an AA (18.7.1972)’; ‘Heiliger Stuhl an AA (18.7.1972)’.

90.  EST-VM Saksamaa 1990–1992, ‘Schriftliche Anfrage Hans Graf Huyn (1.10.1990)’; ‘Dr Irmgard Adam Schwätzer an MdB Huyn (16.10.1990)’.

91.  See http://www.stern.de/politik/ausland/523340.html?eid=521890, accessed 6 June 2005.

92.  See an AA assessment in 1973, the position of which was to remain unchanged until 1991, B39-IIAI/Bd.61, ‘Fleischhauer (15.5.1973)’.