Estonian Self-Administration ( et, Eesti Omavalitsus, german: Estnische Selbstverwaltung), also known as the ''Directorate'', was the
puppet government set up in
Estonia during the
occupation of Estonia by Nazi Germany. It was headed by
Hjalmar Mäe
Hjalmar-Johannes Mäe ( in Tuhala, Kreis Harrien, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire – 10 April 1978 in Graz, Austria) was an Estonian politician.
Mäe was twice a candidate to the Riigikogu, in the 1929 Estonian parliamentary election ...
. The Estonian Self-Administration was subordinated to the administration of
Generalbezirk Estland
Generalbezirk Estland (General District Estonia) was one of the four administrative subdivisions of ''Reichskommissariat Ostland'', the 1941-1945 civilian occupation regime established by Nazi Germany for the administration of the three Baltic cou ...
and its directors were appointed by the chief of the Generalbezirk, Commissioner-General
Karl-Siegmund Litzmann
Karl-Siegmund Litzmann (1 August 1893, in Minden, Westphalia – August 1945, in Kappeln, Schleswig-Holstein) was the German General Commissioner for Generalbezirk Estland ( Estonia) in the Reichskommissariat Ostland during the German occupati ...
.
According to the
(referred to as the Commission below),
Although the Directorate did not have complete freedom of action, it exercised a significant measure of autonomy, within the framework of German policy, political, racial and economic. For example, the Directors exercised their powers pursuant to the laws and regulations of the Republic of Estonia, but only to the extent that these had not been repealed or amended by the German military command.[Conclusions of the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity]
—
Phase II: The German occupation of Estonia in 1941–1944
''
The Commission also found that:
The position of Director was voluntary; there is no evidence that any of the leadership of the Directorate were subject to any form of coercion... The Directorate’s autonomy, in particular, enabled them to maintain police structures that cooperated with the Germans in rounding up and killing Estonian Jews and Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
* Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
, and in seeking out and killing Estonians
Estonians or Estonian people ( et, eestlased) are a Finnic ethnic group native to Estonia who speak the Estonian language.
The Estonian language is spoken as the first language by the vast majority of Estonians; it is closely related to other ...
deemed to be opponents of the occupiers, and which were ultimately incorporated into the Security Police. It also extended to the unlawful conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
of Estonians for forced labor
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of e ...
or for military service under German command.
Directors
*
Hjalmar Mäe
Hjalmar-Johannes Mäe ( in Tuhala, Kreis Harrien, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire – 10 April 1978 in Graz, Austria) was an Estonian politician.
Mäe was twice a candidate to the Riigikogu, in the 1929 Estonian parliamentary election ...
(Head of the Directorate)
*
Oskar Angelus
Oskar Angelus (7 May 1892 – 3 November 1979) was an Estonian politician and collaborator with Nazi Germany.
Biography
Angelus was born in Kolga Parish (now Kuusalu Parish), Kreis Harrien in the Governorate of Estonia of the Russian Empir ...
(Director for Internal Affairs)
*
Alfred Wendt (or
Alfred Vendt
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*'' Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interl ...
) (Director for Economy and Transport)
*
Otto Leesment
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded f ...
(Director for Social Affairs)
*
Hans Saar
Hans may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Hans (name), a masculine given name
* Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician
** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans
** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...
(Director for Agriculture)
*
Oskar Öpik Oskar may refer to:
* oskar (gene), the Drosophila gene
* Oskar (given name), masculine given name
See also
* Oscar (disambiguation)
{{disambig ...
(Director for Justice)
*
Arnold Raadik
Arnold may refer to:
People
* Arnold (given name), a masculine given name
* Arnold (surname), a German and English surname
Places Australia
* Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria
Canada
* Arnold, Nova Scotia
...
(Director for Technology)
*
Johannes Soodla (Inspector-General for Estonian Waffen-SS units)
The Commission concluded that the senior officials of the Directorate, by the virtue of their position, share responsibility
with the German authorities for all criminal actions carried out in
Estonia, and beyond its borders by military units or
police battalions raised with their consent.
[
]
References
{{reflist
Estonian collaborators with Nazi Germany
Generalbezirk Estland