Estonian Self-Administration (, ), also known as the ''Directorate'', was the

puppet government A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government is a State (polity), state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside Power (international relations), power and subject to its ord ...

set up in

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

during the

occupation of Estonia by Nazi Germany In the course of Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany invaded Estonia in July–December 1941, and occupied the country until 1944. Estonia had gained independence in 1918 from the then-warring German and Russian Empires. However, in the wake of ...

. It was headed by

Hjalmar Mäe Hjalmar-Johannes Mäe ( in Tuhala, Kreis Harrien, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire – 10 April 1978 in Graz, Austria) was an Estonian politician. Mäe was twice a candidate to the Riigikogu, in the 1929 Estonian parliamentary election as a ...

. The Estonian Self-Administration was subordinated to the administration of

Generalbezirk Estland ''Generalbezirk Estland'' ( German for "General District Estonia"; ) was an administrative subdivision of the ''Reichskommissariat Ostland'' of Nazi Germany that covered Estonia from 1941 to 1944. It served as the Nazi civilian administration f ...

and its directors were appointed by the chief of the Generalbezirk, Commissioner-General Karl-Siegmund Litzmann. According to the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity (referred to as the Commission below),

Although the Directorate did not have complete freedom of action, it exercised a significant measure of autonomy, within the framework of German policy, political, racial and economic. For example, the Directors exercised their powers pursuant to the laws and regulations of the Republic of Estonia, but only to the extent that these had not been repealed or amended by the German military command.Conclusions of the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity
—
Phase II: The German occupation of Estonia in 1941–1944
''

The Commission also found that:

The position of Director was voluntary; there is no evidence that any of the leadership of the Directorate were subject to any form of coercion... The Directorate’s autonomy, in particular, enabled them to maintain police structures that cooperated with the Germans in rounding up and killing Estonian
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
, and in seeking out and killing
Estonians Estonians or Estonian people () are a Finnic ethnic group native to the Baltic Sea region in Northern Europe, primarily their nation state of Estonia. Estonians primarily speak the Estonian language, a language closely related to other Finni ...
deemed to be opponents of the occupiers, and which were ultimately incorporated into the
Security Police Security police usually describes a law enforcement agency which focuses primarily on providing security and law enforcement services to particular areas or specific properties. They may be employed by governmental, public, or private institutio ...
. It also extended to the unlawful
conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...
of Estonians for
forced labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...
or for
military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...
under German command.

Directors

(Head of the Directorate) * Oskar Angelus (Director for Internal Affairs) *Alfred Wendt (or Alfred Vendt) (Director for Economy and Transport) *

Otto Leesment Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fro ...

(Director for Social Affairs) *

Hans Saar Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi ...

(Director for Agriculture) *

Oskar Öpik Oskar may refer to: People * Oskar (given name), a masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Jón Óskar (1921–1998), Icelandic poet * Lee Oskar (born 1948), Danish harmonica player, a founding memb ...

(Director for Justice) *Arnold Radik (Director for Technology) *

Johannes Soodla Johannes Soodla (14 January 1897 in Kudina Parish, (now in Palamuse Parish) – 16 May 1965) was an Estonian military officer during World War I, Estonian War of Independence and World War II, serving in Kuperjanov's Partisan Battalion and th ...

(Inspector-General for Estonian Waffen-SS units) The Commission concluded that the senior officials of the Directorate, by the virtue of their position, share responsibility with the German authorities for all criminal actions carried out in Estonia, and beyond its borders by military units or police battalions raised with their consent.

References

{{reflist Estonian collaborators with Nazi Germany Generalbezirk Estland