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Monument of Lihula is a monument commemorating the Estonians who fought for German-occupied Estonia in World War II, located in Lagedi near Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

The monument has moved two times before ending up in the current location. It was originally unveiled in Pärnu on 2002, but taken down in only nine days after prime minister Siim Kallas had condemned the statue. The statue was unveiled in Lihula on August 20, 2004, and taken down by the Estonian authorities on September 3, 2004.

The monument depicts an Estonian soldier in a World War II uniform resembling German military uniform. It consists of a bronze bas-relief and a dedication tablet mounted on a vertical granite slab. The tablet reads: To Estonian men who fought in 1940-1945 against Bolshevism and for the restoration of Estonian independence.

Controversy

The monument's dedication to those who fought against Bolshevism in the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS, a number of organisations condemned it, most notably the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Most supporters of the monument, however, have clearly distanced themselves from the Nazi ideology. Ilmar Haaviste, head of the Association of Estonian Veterans, who fought on the German side, says he does not regret taking the German uniform, because there was a "naive" hope that somehow an independent Estonia could be salvaged. He thinks wearing a German uniform does not make you a fascist. That both regimes, Nazi and Soviet were equally evil - there was no difference between the two except that Stalin was more cunning. and view Estonians' serving in German army a as having been a necessary evil instead. The monument caused concern among some Jewish officials and organisations, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Chief Rabbi of Estonia.

Status of the Baltic Legions

The Nuremberg Trials, in declaring the SS a criminal organisation, explicitly excluded conscripts in the following terms:

Tribunal declares to be criminal within the meaning of the Charter the group composed of those persons who had been officially accepted as members of the SS as enumerated in the preceding paragraph who became or remained members of the organisation with knowledge that it was being used for the commission of acts declared criminal by Article 6 of the Charter or who were personally implicated as members of the organisation in the commission of such crimes, excluding, however, those who were drafted into membership by the State in such a way as to give them no choice in the matter, and who had committed no such crimes.

In April 13, 1950, a message from the U.S. High Commission in Germany (HICOG), signed by John J. McCloy to the Secretary of State, clarified the US position on the "Baltic Legions": they were not to be seen as "movements", "volunteer", or "SS". In short, they were not given the training, indoctrination, and induction normally given to SS members. Subsequently the US Displaced Persons Commission in September 1950 declared that:

The Baltic Waffen SS Units (Baltic Legions) are to be considered as separate and distinct in purpose, ideology, activities, and qualifications for membership from the German SS, and therefore the Commission holds them not to be a movement hostile to the Government of the United States.

Rumours of Nazi glorification

A number of rumours were circulated about the soldier depicted on the monument wearing Nazi symbolism, and thus constituting an attempt to glorify Nazism. As no such symbolism is on the bas-relief, sometimes the rumours have taken the form that these symbols were removed between the first and current installment. A semiotic analysis by professor Peeter Torop of University of Tartu, ordered by Lihula police department after the first installment concluded that no Nazi or SS symbolics whatsoever appear in the bas-relief. He pointed out the monument's slightly impolite composition but found no basis for the hypothesis that the installment of the monument would constitute an incitement of social hatred. (Under Estonian law, such incitement is a crime punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to three years.) In any case, short of recasting, it would be very hard to modify a bronze-cast statue.

However, the rumours were picked up by some press. On May 22, 2004, the Jerusalem Post ran a story about the plans of some Estonian individuals to build a monument to the 20. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS. The false rumours led to Russia's chief Rabbi, Berl Lazar condemning installment of the monument, expressing concern it would breed anti-Semitism , as well as a formal protest from the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Moving the monument

In 2004, shortly after it was opened, Estonian Government, possibly due to pressure from the EU and the USA as well as other international organisations, opposed the unveiling of the monument, and ultimately ordered it to be removed.

The crane which arrived to remove the monument from Lihula could not enter the cemetery because of a crowd of protesting people. The Riot Police were called in, but as they arrived, locals started to throw stones at them and at the driver of the crane. After a fight between the crowd and the police, the people were driven back using teargas, and some policemen were treated for minor wounds in a hospital.

After the removal of the monument it was subsequently placed on October 15, 2005 on grounds of the privately owned Museum of Fight for Estonia's Freedom in Lagedi near Tallinn. The monument has not been moved again.

See also

• Bronze Soldier of Tallinn, another controversial monument in Estonia.

References

1. Template:Et iconEesti riik soovib Lihula ausammast endale
2. Estonia removes SS monument
3. ^ Postimees September 14, 2004: Semiootikaprofessor Toropi hinnangul ei ole Lihula sammas natslik
4. ^ Simon Wiesenthal Center August 25, 2004: Wiesenthal center protests erection of monument commemorating Estonian SS-division which fought with Nazis in World War II
5. BBC NEWS | Europe | When giants fought in Estonia
6. Estonia unveils Nazi war monument
7. FJC | News | Estonia Immortalizes Nazi Criminals
8. Russia’s Jewish Communities Federation: Setting up monuments to SS soldiers in Estonia is attempt to turn criminals and butchers into heroes of liberation war - Russian News - REGNUM
9. News Releases - SWC New Design Test
10. Baltic Times August 26, 2004: Monument unveiled despite criticism by Aleksei Gunter
11. SL Õhtuleht September 14, 2004: Ekspert Peeter Torop: Lihula mälestussammas pole natslik by Kadri Paas
12. Riot police help remove controversial WW2 monument
13. Estonia Restores Monument to SS Legionnaires, Russia Angered

Further reading

• Tiit Madisson, "Lihula õppetund" ("The Lesson of Lihula"), 2005 Template:Et icon

External links

• Looking for the truth behind Lihula
• Muuseumisse pandud ajalugu Template:Et icon
• Lihula Samba Lugu Template:Et icon

• Monuments and memorials in Estonia
• Lääne County