Parliament Honors Champions of Estonian Independence With Resolution (13)

Published: 14.02.2012 15:44

Photo: Postimees/Scanpix

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Parliament passed a resolution recognizing Estonian citizens who stood for the de facto restoration (international law never recognized a discontinuity of the country's sovereignty after 1940) of Estonian independence during the Soviet and Nazi German occupations.

Speaking before Parliament, one of the bill's authors, MP Marko Mihkelson (IRL), said it was meaningful that the bill was adopted in a consensual atmosphere.

"The Republic of Estonia has a big moral debt of honor, the repayment of which has been expected for many years. There is no doubt that every country has a responsibility to remember and recognize those who have fought, risked and suffered in their name. In one form or another, Estonia has memorialized those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom, but until today Parliament has not previously recognized the people who stood for restoration of Estonian independence," said Mihkelson.

A passage of the resolution declared the following: "Parliament condemns the repressive politics of the Soviet Union and National Socialist Germany and the activities of persons who, in the service of these regimes, have committed crimes against humanity, irrespective of their citizenship and location of commitment of these crimes."

 

Ott Tammik

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Comments (13)

  • Nazi Germany

    14.02.2012 15:55

    Is this "...condemns the repressive policies of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.." corrrectly cited? What country is this Nazi Germany? As far as I know there has never been a country called "Nazi Germany".

  • Well

    14.02.2012 16:32

    It has to be "German Realm" or "Greater German Realm". These were the offocial names of "Nazi Germany"

  • Mart Mang

    14.02.2012 21:35

    I was there as a child and that's what we called it. Everyone else called it Nazi Germany also. You call it whatever you want...

  • Well

    15.02.2012 09:08

    Mart! It is not about how you call it ,but how it has to be called in an official resolution of the parliament of Estonia. I agree all know what is meant, but the text of an official resolution should be more accurate (we also would not say "England" if GB is meant in an official statement, do we)

  • Rolf W.

    15.02.2012 09:55

    In offical publications of the Federal Republic of Germany it says NS-Regime or national socialism in Germany and not Deutsches Reich or Großdeutsches Reich. Therefore it is not nescessary to name it in official resolution. Why should Estonia use these words? German officials do not do this too. A discussion about the "correct" term is some strange way odf nitpicking.

  • Rolf W.

    15.02.2012 10:03

    I forgot. The European Parliament (including the members of the United Kingdom / Great Britain) also did not use the terms "German Realm" or "Greater German Realm" but use the term Germany. As I already wrote: nitpicking...

  • Mart Mang

    15.02.2012 16:17

    German Realm or Greater German Realm, or Nazi Germany? An old saying goes, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig"...

  • Well

    15.02.2012 17:47

    @Rolf. Please cite the official German document that refers to "NS-Regime" as name for a country. It is a historiographical term. The Estonian resolution refers to the name of a country. This is a difference. Do you see it?

  • Rolf W.

    15.02.2012 20:24

    @Well: Here you are. And before you start complaining: Bundestagsdrucksachen are official, especially the answers as they are from the government. If this is not official, I do not know what it is. You can also find the term "Germany" instead of "Deutsches Reich" or "Grossdeutsches Reich" in the Hitler-Stalin-Pact You see, even Adolf as the head of state was not concerned about the "correct" (answer of the government) But you are right, the government used the term (includes the incorrect term "Germany".

  • Rolf W.

    15.02.2012 20:48

    Damn, I forgot that links are not possible: Drucksache 13/7839 Here you can find the term "Nazi-Deutschland" in the answer of the German Government. The resolution of the european parliament is: Declaration of the European Parliament on the proclamation of 23 August as European day of remembrance for victims of Stalinism and Nazism - I am sorry. I think the difference you refer to is in a different case: Agreements or contracts between sovereign states. In this case the correct term would be "Deutsches Reich" or something similar but (I am thankful for it), nowadays it is impossible to make agreements with the "Greater German Realm" and therefore it is not nescessary to use this term in official resolutions as the term NS-Germany/ NS-State and so on is also used by historians or for example in an exhibition of the German parliament in Berlin (Berlin-Dome). In official agreements between states it would be Federal Republic of Germany or Republic of Estonia. May I ask, why you did not complain about the term "Soviet Union"? The official name was Union of the Socialis Soviet Republics (USSR):) Of course, from point of view it is the same as National-Socialist Germany. It does not exist anymore (also: hooray)

  • Juhan021

    16.02.2012 13:21

    So, whats next then? I understand it's right to put the record straight, but why has it has to be done by the Riigikogu? Why couldn't it been just a statement from Foreign Office? I think there are more urgent issues Riigikogu should be dealing with - high unemployment, homelessness, child poverty, en masse emigration etc. In light of all these problems this statement sounds somewhat hollow, but then again this government has always been about pleasing the pensioners - we, the young, have always been told to 'shut up, or put up' or to just go away - if you happen to be gay, 'go and live in Sweden', if you happen to be unemployed, 'go and live in Finland' etc. I just hope that now this resolution is passed, we can start to move on with 'real' issues facing the country at the moment. And I truly hope this is the final chapter as a lot of young people are getting really sick of it - it (talking about the War) just goes on and on and on, decade after decade.

  • avatar

    Pillandia

    20.02.2012 13:03

    Instead I see very appropriate the definition "National Socialist Germany". The only possible alternative it is the most common "Third Reich". I think it is also in the interest of present Germany to welcome such a name. The state of Adolf Hitler (by the way, an Austrian...) stopped to be Germany when it changed the flag and, later, before arriving to Estonia, did eat entire non-German peoples and annexed them (Czechs and Poles). Frankly speaking, National Socialist Germany is not Germany and Soviet Union is not Russia. In our deep soul we may even think that the uncle of Mrs. Merkel had been a Nazi or Mr. Putin himself a former Soviet communist. But we cannot "speak" in such a way, because we must prepare a better world for our children.

  • avatar

    knut_albers

    22.02.2012 19:20

    I found this a good compromise as to my understanding persons that committed Communist and/ or Nazi war crimes are not classified as "champions" under this honor bill. Now, let's get back to business as usual and address the things that are more important for now, here and today. One can not live in the past always and forever. Only when we have a stake in the future Estonia is truly free and restored. The Independence in 1918 was not achieved by the past, but through hopes and desires for the future.