Estonia, like so many other nations in World War II, found itself between a rock and a hard place. On one side were the Soviets, on the other the Nazis. Neither side had the best interest of Estonia in mind but were only interested in expanding their territory. The Soviets wanted to create the Homo Sovieticus, the Nazis the Aryan Superman. Luckily for all of us, although 50 years later with the Soviets, neither side succeeded.
The Estonian people had to make a decision. Some chose to collaborate with the Soviets while others chose the Nazis. The brave ones chose Estonia and took to the forests to fight both enemies. Others still chose to risk neither occupier and attempted to leave for a place of refuge. The unlucky ones suffered under the boot of either or both of the occupiers.
But for some strange reason, our view of this period is clouded. People defend and excuse collaboration with the Nazis while condemning any sort of contact with the Soviets. Others, including prominent members of Estonia's political life, take the opposite view and defend collaboration with the Soviets. And all the while, they all maintain that their collaboration was in fact intended to help Estonia. Perhaps the truth is that it helped only themselves instead.
The disturbing element comes into play when an event such as Holocaust Memorial Day is commemorated. While many people will take at least a moment in their busy lives to think about the colossal crime committed against the Jewish people by the Nazis, many others use the opportunity to make some fallacy-ridden political statement that belies their underlying bigotry.
The front page of VES carried an article last week that described how candles were lit at the gravesites of German soldiers on Holocaust Memorial Day. While the dead soldiers may never have killed an innocent person or persecuted someone who was Jewish, the act of commemorating them is in poor taste. November 11, Armistice day, is universally held as a memorial day to all fallen soldiers. Why were the candles not lit on that day ?
To light candles to German soldiers on a day meant to commemorate those who were murdered by the German-Nazis is insulting to the memory of the victims of this crime, and deliberately offensive to most sane people. No doubt some of those who lit the candles hold onto some latent hatred or bigotry. And unfortunately this kind of attitude continues in Estonia.
Recently an opinion piece in Estonian criticized the actions of so-called Nazi hunters, bringing up the tired question of why the events of fifty years ago cannot be forgotten. “They are old men now,” goes the argument, “why not leave them alone ?” Ask that person the same question when discussing a communist executioner in 1941, and you are likely to get a completely different answer.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Estonians, regardless of their culture, religion, or race, were hunted and murdered by both the Soviets and the Germans. But it may just be possible that some Estonians don't care about anyone who isn’t just like “them.”
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