Selgitusprotsessides

Selgitusprotsessides is a Estonian term referring to a process of forced migration of Estonian Germans from Estonia to Germany following the Soviet annexation of the country in 1940. The process was initiated by the Soviet authorities in June 1941, and it was carried out in secret to avoid detection by the occupying forces.

The process involved the forced relocation of approximately 13,000 to 15,000 Estonian Germans, who were transported to Germany without their consent. Many of the deportees had family ties in Germany and had held German citizenship prior to the annexation. The Estonian government, which was subject to Soviet influence, played a significant role in the process.

Selgitusprotsessides was largely a covert operation, with the Estonian government and the NKVD (Soviet secret police) coordinating the deportations. The process was implemented in multiple stages, with Estonian Germans being forcibly relocated from various parts of the country to German-occupied territory.

The reason behind the deportations was largely ideological, with the Soviet authorities seeking to eliminate any perceived threat to their control over Estonia. The Estonian Germans were viewed as a potentially disloyal population, and their forced relocation was seen as a necessary measure to secure the country.

The aftermath of the deportations was characterized by significant personal and social disruption for the Estonian Germans and their families, many of whom experienced prolonged inhumane treatment and forced labor in Germany.