Memelland

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The Memelland from 1923 to 1939 under Lithuanian sovereignty.
Flag of the Memel Country
The national colors of the Memelland
Postage stamps from Memelland, 1920–1925
French mandate area. "The Sower", French postage stamp, overprinted with "Memel 1 Mark" (1920)

The Memelland or Memel region ( Lithuanian Klaipėdos kraštas ) is the part of East Prussia that was separated from Germany in the interwar period and north of the Memel or its delta arm Skierwieth (Skirvytė), as well as the corresponding part of the Curonian Spit .

Under Article 99 of the Versailles Treaty of 1919, Memelland was ceded to the Allied powers without a referendum with effect from January 10, 1920 . From the beginning of 1920 to the beginning of 1923 it was administered by France as their representative.

The 2,656.7 km² territory was around 140 km long and up to 20 km wide. Of the more than 140,000 residents in 1925, 72.5% described themselves as Germans or “ cultural Germans ” (16% bilingual) and 27.5% as Lithuanians. The largest city was Memel (Klaipėda) with 40,000 inhabitants (1931 11% Lithuanians), followed by Heydekrug (Šilutė) with 5,000 inhabitants and Pogegen (Pagėgiai) with 2,800 inhabitants.

From January 10, 1923, during the occupation of the Ruhr area by France and Belgium, the French occupation forces withdrew from "local insurgents", who had actually been commissioned by the Lithuanian government and infiltrated from Lithuania . The subsequent annexation of the Memel area by Lithuania was recognized by the League of Nations on May 8, 1924 in the Memel Convention . Lithuania thus gained access to the Baltic Sea through German-speaking territory.

On March 20, 1939, a few days after the defeat of Czechoslovakia , the German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop demanded the return to Germany in an ultimatum to Lithuania . Lithuania did so on March 22nd.

In 1945, towards the end of World War II , the Memelland was conquered by the Red Army in the Battle of East Prussia (January 13th to April 25th) ; the city of Memel fell on January 28, 1945. Soon after, it became part of the Lithuanian SSR , Soviet Union (USSR).

history

Before the later Memelland belonged to a state, the Baltic tribes of the Schalauer , Kuren and Karschauer were settled there. The Kuren (the name means "fast to sea") were considered the most accomplished seafarers in the Baltic Sea and are mentioned in the Icelandic sagas . Danish lore testifies that they were feared as pirates. However, there were also trade and marriage ties between the Shalaws and Denmark. The Schalauerburg Ruß on the Memel was the starting point for these relationships. In addition, there were relations with the rest of the Balts in the north and east and with the Slavs in the south.

After the conquest by the Livonian Order from 1200 and the construction of the fortress Memelburg or the city Memel from 1250 by the Teutonic Order Memel was the 1328 from Ordensstaat allocated. In the Treaty of Melno Sea in 1422 a border was drawn with Lithuania, which lasted 500 years. It was the oldest in Europe after the Pyrenees border .

During the time of the conquest, the local population from the outskirts of what was then Prussia was decimated and some of them were relocated to more controllable areas. When the influx of settlers from Germany dried up because of the population losses there due to the plague, settlers from Lithuania were brought to northeast Prussia on both sides of the Memel and north of the Curonian Lagoon at the end of the 15th century and in the 16th century .

After the Reformation, which was German Teutonic Order in 1525 to the Protestant Duchy of Prussia , which in 1618 since the personal union of the Elector of Brandenburg was ruled. In 1701, Elector Friedrich III. it became the "Kingdom of Prussia" and himself a king. In the following decades the kingdom became the eponymous province of the Brandenburg-Prussian state . The Memelland belonged to East Prussia from 1422 to 1920 . Apart from the time of the Frankfurt National Assembly 1848-1851, it was outside the borders of the Holy Roman Empire or the German Confederation . With the establishment of the German Empire in 1871, East Prussia became Germany's northernmost territory. The border between the East Prussian part of the country around the Memel and Lithuania, which was under Polish rule from the 16th century and under Russian rule from 1795 , remained largely unchanged from 1422 to 1920.

First World War and its aftermath

During the First World War , German troops occupied the then Russian province of Lithuania. Germany wanted to detach Lithuania from the Russian Empire and recognize it as a sovereign state, but only under the condition of future close economic and military cooperation with the German Empire. According to a statement by the Lithuanian State Council on December 11, 1917, nothing of the sort happened; on February 16, 1918, the First Lithuanian Republic was founded . It was recognized by the German Reich in March 1918. On July 11, 1918, Lithuania became a short-lived Kingdom of Lithuania through the election of the German nobleman Wilhelm Karl von Urach as King of Lithuania . In the summer of 1919, the Treaty of Versailles, when determining the German borders (Article 28), stipulated that a part of East Prussia, now called “Memelland” in Germany, should be separated without a vote and placed under the mandate of the League of Nations . The Versailles Treaty also included the international recognition of Lithuania. Germany had to declare its readiness to recognize a state affiliation of the Memelland to be made later by the Allies (Article 99). The mandate area was occupied by French troops and placed under French administration.

This protectorate was established when the treaty came into force on January 10, 1920 . On October 4, 1920, the Memelland received its own Council of State under a French prefect ( Gabriel Petisné ).

The separation of the Memelland was justified by the Lithuanian-speaking part of the population there, who made up about half of the population according to the census of 1910, but who spoke not High Lithuanian, but a dialect influenced by lost Baltic languages ​​such as Prussian and Old Kurish , namely West Zemaitic , which spoke differed considerably from High Lithuanian. In the act of Tilsit, a small part of this population group had called for annexation to Lithuania. Large parts of the Lithuanian-speaking population of the Memel Land, however, felt more likely to belong to East Prussia than to the new Lithuanian nation- state, which was partly due to the fact that the Memel Countries had belonged to East Prussia for almost 500 years and were more than 95% Protestant , while the rest of Lithuania was due to adhered to Catholicism during the long Polish rule . Economically, Memelland was more developed than Lithuania.

The young Republic of Lithuania had been involved in a war of independence, the Russian Civil War or the Lithuanian-Soviet War , since the end of 1918 . It was settled in the Moscow Peace Treaty in July 1920. However, as part of the Polish-Soviet war , Poland was on the advance again in the autumn of 1920, and contrary to international treaties, Polish, supposedly renegade troops attacked the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in the short Polish-Lithuanian war in October 1920 . The area was annexed by Poland in 1922.

Apart from the language, Lithuania raised claims to Memel (Lithuanian Klaipėda ) in order to get a fully developed Baltic Sea port , because Lithuania only had the small Baltic Sea port of Palanga (German: Polangen).

In 1922 and 1923 inflation was rampant in Germany ; it also affected the Memel region.

According to the result of a signature campaign approved by the French and a preliminary decision by the Paris Ambassadors Conference , Memelland should be converted into a "Free State of Memelland" for at least ten years.

Jean Gabriel Petisné , who had worked in Memel as an administrative officer of the French military mission since March 31, 1920 , was appointed civil commissioner of the Memelland on June 8, 1920 and received the status of a civil commissioner on May 1, 1921 after the return of General Dominique Odry to France High commissioners .

Occupation by Lithuanian forces in 1923: "Klaipėda revolt"

Bilingual manifesto of the pro-Lithuanian committee for the salvation of the Memel area from 1923

From January 10, 1923, simultaneously with the occupation of the Ruhr area by France and Belgium , over 1000 armed Lithuanians occupied the Memelland and the city of Memel in a coup ("Klaipėda Revolte"). Officially, this was known as the internal Memelland uprising. However, the action was carried out from Lithuania with a "Schützenbund" and members of regular troops, in civilian clothes, but marked with armbands (MLS, lit. Mažosios Lietuvos sukilėlis , insurgents from Lithuania Minor ). Support from Memelland was negligible. The 300 Memel countries mentioned in numerous Lithuanian publications did not join the movement until it was successfully terminated. Well-known locals could not be recruited as "leaders", so that the leader Jonas Polovinskas appeared under the name of a former German officer (Budrys).

The 200 French alpine hunters, superior to the militants in terms of training and equipment , were supported by a few hundred German police officers and militants, but after two days they allowed themselves to be pushed back to their barracks and the prefecture. This was also stormed, according to French reports by over 5000 opponents. Twelve Lithuanian militants, two French and a German gendarme (whose family was financially compensated by the leader of the Lithuanian militants) are counted as losses. Troops from France and England arriving later by ship began their journey home again without having achieved anything in view of the new rule.

The background to this has not been fully clarified. Poland was allied with France, had expanded its borders far to the east in 1920, bringing Vilnius under its control, since then has been in conflict with a weak Lithuania, and also raised claims on the Memelland. There is a controversial rumor that the Lithuanian occupation of the French-administered area was carried out with the approval of the German government or Reichswehr chief General Hans von Seeckt and the tolerance by the East Prussian border police in order to strengthen Lithuania against its common enemy Poland. It is known that the irregulars owned weapons made in Germany. The Lithuanians had received 1,500 German rifles, five light machine guns and a lot of ammunition from Germany on favorable terms, for which Ernestas Galvanauskas paid from a secret fund (Mažosios Lietuvos Fondas) . The German police did not interfere with the deployment of the Lithuanian fighters.

Autonomous Region of Lithuania

Lithuania was able to show diplomatically that it was an uprising by local forces seeking union and that the Lithuanian government was not acting on orders. On January 19, 1923, French troops and administrative forces left the country. On February 16, 1923, the conference of ambassadors recognized the annexation of the Memel area as a fact and formally handed over sovereignty over the area to Lithuania.

In May 1924 the annexation was recognized by the League of Nations in the Memel Convention ; its provisions included the autonomy of the Memelland within Lithuania. The Statute of Autonomy was passed by the Lithuanian Parliament on May 8, 1924. With the annexation of the lost Memellanders the German nationality and were Lithuanians . However, you could opt for German citizenship .

The election to the Landtag in 1925 resulted in a very high proportion of votes (approx. 95%) for German speakers who represented autonomy or affiliation with the German Reich .

In December 1926, the autonomy was largely abolished by martial law, but the further election results were clearly against the Lithuanian military dictatorship of Antanas Smetona .

As a result of Polish pressure, responsible Lithuanian politicians came to the conclusion that the relationship with Germany could be improved: “In mid-September 1938, Legation Councilor von Grundherr was twice in the Foreign Office from the Lithuanian journalist - editor-in-chief of the semi-official 'Lietuvas Aidas' - Gustainas, who had good relations to the President Smetona, the Prime Minister Mironas and the Lithuanian Foreign Minister. Von Grundherr reported that Gustainis was very frank in expressing his fear that the Memel population might demand the right to self-determination and a referendum . Lithuania could not jeopardize its entire existence in order to maintain the Memel area. It would be better to get in touch with the German government in case they would give the Lithuanians rights to the port of Memel . At the beginning of December 1938 there were clear signs that the Lithuanian side was willing to make concessions beyond the Memel area. On December 1, 1938, Peter Kleist was appointed by the Ribbentrop office , a private office of the Foreign Minister, in his capacity as Hitler's advisor on foreign policy Affairs, visited by the Lithuanian Consul General Dymscha in Koenigsberg to talk about the German-Lithuanian relationship and especially about the Memel area. "

The arguments popular at the time are still repeated today, although the Lithuanian archives proving the contrary have been publicly accessible since 1990 and international conferences have been held on the subject. In 1965, the then still living leading participants in the action were unwilling to speak openly about the events of the time, for fear that “Lithuania could be compromised if you admit the scandal, bring the fraud to light and bring the conspiracy to the public. "

Occupation by Germany

On March 22, 1939, one week after the German Wehrmacht marched into Prague and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was established , the Lithuanian government, under heavy pressure, signed a transfer agreement with the German Reich (German-Lithuanian State Treaty ). Lithuania was forced to respond to the German ultimatum to Lithuania of March 20, 1939, then withdrew its troops and authorities and in return received a free trade zone in Memel and free right of way for 99 years. The Memelland was incorporated into the Land of Prussia and the Province of East Prussia and became part of the Gumbinnen district . Memel countries, which had lost their German citizenship due to the assignment to Lithuania, became German citizens again.

Second World War and the aftermath

Gravestone in the former German cemetery of Uszlöknen (Užliekniai)
Memelländer-Stein, created by the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Memellandkreise"

In October 1944, Germany evacuated the entire population across the Memel. Shortly afterwards the Red Army marched in . After the occupation of Memel on January 28, 1945, the Lithuanian Soviet government set up a new administration in Memel Land, which immediately began with the settlement by Lithuanians. The Memel Land became part of the Lithuanian SSR .

As early as February, German- and Lithuanian-speaking Memel countries, which had remained in East Prussia after their evacuation, withdrew in large droves across the Memel or fled home from the Soviet forced labor camps there. Klaipeda was initially deserted - the Soviet city commandant only registered 28 Germans in the city after four weeks - while many farmers had returned to their farms. Several thousand Memel countries from the refugee camps in the Soviet occupation zone responded in waves to the calls of Soviet "repatriation officers" and came back to Memel country by means of specially provided freight trains, where they initially had to live in reception and inspection camps. Immediately after their arrival, a large number of them were also used for forced labor inside the Soviet Union . In addition to NSDAP members and people who had employed prisoners of war and forced labor , peasant families who were considered to be " kulaks " because of their farm size were also deported to Siberia . The new settlers were often former agricultural and seasonal workers from Samogitia , who knew the farm from their previous work, but did not know how to manage it, so that mismanagement quickly reigned here, which also affected the food situation of the population affected. When returning old owners came to their farm, they were driven out or killed. It was not until 1947 that long-established Memel countries were able to acquire Soviet citizenship, which gave them rights, but not their old property.

As a result of the flight and expulsion of Germans from Central and Eastern Europe from 1945 to 1950 and new arrivals, the area, which has been evangelical since the Reformation, is now predominantly Catholic.

politics

High commissioners

(installed by the League of Nations)

Governors

(installed by the Lithuanian government)

German diplomats

Country presidents

Country Directors

  • 1920–1921: initially seven, nine since 12.1920 (Erdmann Simoneit and Mikelis Reidys were added), mostly German members
  • 1923 -9999: Martinas Reizgys (Martin Reisgys), Toleikis
  • 1926–1926: Scharffetter, Kairies, Stumber, Augustas Baldzius (August Baldschus)
  • 1926–1927: Scharffetter, Endrius Borchertas (Heinrich Borchert)
  • 1927 -9999: Czeskleba, Endrius Borchertas (Heinrich Borchert)
  • 1927–1930: Vorbeck, Martinas Reizgys (Martin Reisgys), Sziegaud
  • 1930 -9999: Dugnus (14.8.-9.10.); Czeskleba (August 14 - October 9); Sziegaud (October 9-29); Schult (October 9-29)
  • 1931–1932: Podszus
  • 1932 -9999: Toleikis (from March 14th), did not accept the appointment; Vongehr (from March 14th) did not accept the appointment;

Tolischus (from March 14th); Martinas Reizgys (Martin Reisgys), Kadgiehn

  • 1932–1934: Sziegaud, Fritz Walgahn
  • 1934–1935: Ludwig Buttgereit, Martin Anysas, Martin Grigat
  • 1935–1939: Sziegaud, Willy Betke, Ernst Suhrau
  • 1939 -9999: Sziegaud, Herbert Böttcher , Monien

State elections

→  Main article on the Memelland Landtag: Seimelis

The state parliament had 29 seats, one for every 5000 residents. Women and men over the age of 24 had the right to vote. The age limit was raised to 30 in 1930.

year MLP
Memelland
Agriculture Party 		MVP
Memelland
People's Party 		SPM
Social Democratic
Party of the Memel Region 		AP
Workers' Party of Memelland 		KPM
Communist Party of
the Memel Region 		other LVP
Lithuanian
People's Party
1925 38.1% - 11 seats 36.9% - 11 seats 16.0% - 5 seats Other 9.0% - 2 seats
1927 33.6% - 10 seats 32.7% - 10 seats 10.1% - 3 seats 7.2% - 2 seats 13.6% - 4 seats
1930 31.8% - 10 seats 27.6% - 8 seats 13.8% - 4 seats 4.2% - 2 seats 22.7% - 5 seats
1932 37.1% - 11 seats 27.2% - 8 seats 7.8% - 2 seats 8.2% - 3 seats 19.7% - 5 seats

(100% missing = nominations not represented in the state parliament)

year German unit list Greater Lithuanian parties
1935 81.2% - 24 seats 18.8% - 5 seats
1938 87.2% - 25 seats 12.8% - 4 seats

religion

Landessynodalverband Memelgebiet

The evangelical congregations in the Memel area came to Lithuania through annexation in 1924. The Memelländische Landesdirektorium (state government) elected within the framework of the autonomy, led by state director Viktor Gailus, and the Evangelical Church of the Old Prussian Union (APU), headed by President Johann Friedrich Winckler , concluded the agreement on July 31, 1925 regarding the Evangelical Church of the Memel area , according to which the evangelical parishes of the Memelland separated from the church province of East Prussia and formed their own regional synodal association with its own consistory within the APU. After church elections in 1926, the evangelical consistory in Memel began its work in 1927 and appointed the spiritual leader, the general superintendent . These goods:

  • 1927–1933: Franz Gregor (Wogau, Kr. Pr.-Eylau, July 24, 1867 - May 27, 1947, Walsrode), previously Superintendent of the Memel Church District.
  • 1933–1944: Otto Obereigner , from July 1, 1933

geography

The largest city in Memel Land was Memel, today's Klaipėda .

After the district towns of Tilsit , Ragnit and Heinrichswalde south of the Memel were separated, the Memelland had to be reorganized. Pogegen ( District Pogegen ) was designated as a new district town . After 1923, the Lithuanian rulers adopted this structure.

For the organization of the courts, see Courts of the Memelland .

Today's residents often refer to the area as Lithuania Minor , although these terms are not congruent, since areas south of the Memel are also included (today Kaliningrad Oblast).

literature

Web links

Commons : Memelland  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ The Memelland Evangelical Church thus enjoyed the status of an ecclesiastical province within the APU, like the regional synodal association of the Free City of Danzig, without even using the term ecclesiastical province in its official name.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ "Memel area". In: Der Große Brockhaus, 15th edition , Vol. 12, 1932, p. 382
  2. ↑ Signed on the 23rd at 1:00 am, with effect from the 22nd; see contract signing .
  3. ↑ full text
  4. ↑ www.laender-lexikon.de: History of Lithuania ( Memento from May 25, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ↑ Vygantas Vareikis: A persistent myth or who liberated the Memel area? In: Annaberger Annalen, Yearbook 2008, p. 201 ( PDF ).
  6. ↑ Statute of Autonomy of May 8, 1924
  7. ↑ Quoted from Hans Hopf: Effects of the relationship between Lithuania and its neighbors on the Memel region. In: Yearbook of the Albertus University of Königsberg / Pr. 1962, vol. 12, p. 262 f.
  8. ↑ Vygantas Vareikis: A persistent myth or who liberated the Memel area? In: Annaberger Annalen, Yearbook 2008, p. 195 ( PDF )
  9. ↑ Kibelka, p. 33; there also the following.
  10. ^ Elections in the Weimar Republic - Memel area
  11. ^ Worldstatesmen.org - Lithuania
  12. ^ Ernst Rudolf Huber : Treaties between State and Church in the German Empire (= treatises from constitutional and administrative law as well as from international law, Siegfried Brie , Max Fleischmann and Friedrich Giese (eds.), H. 44). Breslau: Marcus, 1930, p. 82.
  13. ^ Albertas Juška: The Church in Little Lithuania .