Ostland

Ostland, short for Reichskommissariat Ostland, was the civilian occupation regime established by Nazi Germany in the Baltic states and parts of western Belarus during World War II. Created in July 1941 after Operation Barbarossa, it encompassed the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and western portions of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. The Reichskommissariat Ostland was the territory administered by a Reichskommissar, a civilian governor; the post was held by Hinrich Lohse. The internal structure consisted of four Generalbezirke—Estland, Lettland, Litauen, and Weißruthenien (White Ruthenia)—with Riga chosen as the administrative capital. The regime combined civilian administration with the police and SS to implement Nazi policies, including suppression of political opposition, persecution of Jews and other groups, and economic exploitation.

During its existence, the occupation authorities oversaw mass killings, deportations, and forced labor; the Baltic states experienced the Holocaust and widespread repression, with tens of thousands murdered and many more deported or conscripted. Resistance movements formed, including partisan groups, but were limited by the regime’s security apparatus.

In 1944–45, as Soviet forces advanced, German control collapsed. After the war, the territories were re-incorporated into the Soviet Union: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as Soviet republics, while western Belarus remained part of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. The name Ostland survives mainly in historical references to the Nazi occupation.

Notes: The term Ostland also appears in some sources as a general reference for eastern lands under German occupancy.