THE LOYALTY-QUESTION OF BALTIC GERMAN MPS TOWARDS THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA (1918–1940) IN GERMAN HISTORIOGRAPHY

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##

Published: Apr 4, 2022

  Peter Mons

Abstract

A total of 18 governments took turns during the period of Latvian parliamentarianism between 1918 and 1934. In science, the question of a felt loyalty by the Baltic Germans, as an imagined collective, towards the new Latvian state belongs to the more frequently asked discussion. This work focuses on the question of how Baltic German loyalty is perceived in German historiography, ascribed by the activities of their representatives in the national parliament. Their activities are closely related to their minority’s overall relation to the Latvian state and evolved over five parliamentary phases. Those will be reevaluated, under consideration of the perception in German historiography, showing that the respective zeitgeist was crucial to understand the Baltic German attitude towards the Latvian state and to finally answer the question of a felt loyalty.

How to Cite

Mons, P. (2022). THE LOYALTY-QUESTION OF BALTIC GERMAN MPS TOWARDS THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA (1918–1940) IN GERMAN HISTORIOGRAPHY. Baltic Journal of Legal and Social Sciences, (2), 6-14. https://doi.org/10.30525/2592-8813-2021-2-1
Article views: 154 | PDF Downloads: 137

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##

Keywords

Latvia, Saeima, Baltic Germans, Minority Policy, German Historiography

References
1. Balling M. O. (1991) Von Reval bis Bukarest. Statistisch-Biographisches Handbuch der Parlamentarier der deutschen Minderheiten in Ostmittel- und Südosteuropa 1919–1945. Dokumentation Verlag, Copenhagen, Volume 1, pp. 131–154 [“From Reval to Bucharest. Statistical-Biographical Handbook of the Parliamentarians of the German Minorities in East-Central and Southeastern Europe 1919-1945”].
2. Bogojavlenska S. (2015) Deutsche und russische Parlamentarier in Kooperation und Konfrontation in Lettland 1919-1927. – Conrad, Kusber, Maner “Parlamentarier der deutschen Minderheit im Europa der Zwischenkriegszeit”, Düsseldorf, Volume 170, pp. 83–98 [“German and Russian parliamentarians in cooperation and confrontation in Latvia 1919–1927”, in “Parliamentarians of the German minority in Europe in the inter-war period”].
3. Conrad B. (2016) Loyalitäten, Identitäten und Interessen. Deutsche Parlamentarier im Lettland und Polen der Zwischenkriegszeit. Mainz University Press, V&R Academic, pp. 1–98 [“Loyalties, Identities and Interests. German Parliamentarians in Latvia and Poland of inter-war times”].
4. Garleff M. (1969) Die parlamentarische Tätigkeit der deutsch-baltischen Parteien in Estland und Lettland zwischen 1919 und 1939. Dissertation at the University of Kiel, published under the title “Deutschbaltische Politik zwischen den Weltkriegen. Die parlamentarische Tätigkeit der deutschbaltischen Parteien in Lettland und Estland”, Scientific Archive, Bonn-Bad Godesberg 1976 [“The parliamentary activities of the German-Baltic parties in Estonia and Latvia between 1919 and 1939”, dissertation at the University of Kiel, published under the title “German Baltic politics between the world wars. The parliamentary activities of the Baltic German parties in Latvia and Estonia”].
5. Garleff M. (2014) Zur Rezeptionsgeschichte Paul Schiemanns. –Deutsch-Baltisches Jahrbuch. Volume 62. Carl-Schirren-Gesellschaft e.V. & Deutsch-Baltische Gesellschaft e.V., pp. 88–115 [“On the reception history of Paul Schiemann”].
6. Gibiete L., Gibiete S. (2011) Die auf ewig verlorene Heimat. Die Zwangsumsiedlung der Deutschbalten aus Lettland 1939‒1941. Nord Ost Institut at the University of Hamburg, https://www.ikgn.de/ubersetzte-geschichte/uebersetzte-geschichte-artikel/umsiedlung-derdeutschbalten. html (07/11/2021) [“The forever lost home. The forced resettlement of the Baltic Germans from Latvia 1939–1941”].
7. Grudule M. (2013) Die Deutschbalten in der Kulturgeschichte Lettlands und der Letten. Nord Ost Institut at the University of Hamburg, https://www.ikgn.de/ubersetzte-geschichte/uebersetztegeschichte-artikel/mara-grudule-deutschbalten-in-der-kulturgeschichte.html (07/11/2021) [“The Baltic Germans in the cultural history Latvias and the Latvians”].
8. Pabst M. (2013) Deutschbaltischer Neubeginn 1945–1952. – Forschungen zur baltischen Geschichte. Vol. 8. pp. 165–191. Akadeemiline Ajalooselts, Estonia [“Baltic German new beginning 1945–1952”].
9. Wachsmuth W. (1943) Von deutscher Schulpolitik und Schularbeiten im baltischen Raum, von ihren Anfängen bis 1939. Part II, in “Deutsches Archiv für Landes- und Volksforschung VII”, pp. 351–396 [“About German school policy and school work in the Baltic region, from its beginnings to 1939”].
10. Wachsmuth W. (1951-1953) Von deutscher Arbeit in Lettland 1918–1934. Ein Tätigkeitsbericht. Materialien zur Geschichte des baltischen Deutschtums. 1st Volume (1951), “Die deutsch-baltische Volksgemeinschaft 1923–1934”, 2nd Volume (1952), “Die autonome deutsche Schule in Lettland 1920–1934”, 3rd Volume (1953), “Das politische Gesicht der deutschen Volksgruppe in Lettland in der parlamentarischen Periode 1918–1934”, Comel, Cologne. “Of German labour in Latvia 1918–1934. An activity report. Materials on the history of the Baltic Germanness”, 1st Volume, “The German-Baltic national community 1923–1934”, 2nd Volume [“The autonomous German school in Latvia 1920–1934”, 3rd Volume, “The political face of the German ethnic group in Latvia in the parliamentary period 1918–1934”].