Kulturgeschichte der baltischen Länder in der Frühen Neuzeit. Mit einem Ausblick in die Moderne by Klaus s> Garber Martin Klöker (review)

Abstract

752 SEER, 82, 3, 2004 for the whole of Europe. Recent statementsby EU and other officialsseem to supporther argument.Watersconcludes that in the near futurethe continual presence of Russian troops seems a certainty no matter what OSCE documents the Russian government signs. The chapter by Pop makes the important point that the conflict between Moldova and Transnistriais not ethnic but politicalin nature.Unlike otherfrozenconflictssuch asCyprusand Northern Cyprus, the conflict between Moldova and Transnistriastems over ideologies and economics. While the chapters touch on many important issues,there is no frameworkthat unites the chaptersinto a cohesive whole so thatone understandsthe fulldimensionsof Moldova. Moreover, in the case of the Transnistrian chapters, there is sometimes overlap in explanation and historical facts. That said, this is a thought-provoking volume. Although writtenin a very accessiblemannerfor those not familiarwith Moldova, there is much that a specialistin the region can learn fromit. Department ofPolitical Science STEVEN D. ROPER Eastern IllinoisUniversity Garber, Klaus and Kloker, Martin (eds).Kulturgeschichte derbaltischen Ldnder in derFrahen Neuzeit. Miteinem Ausblick indieModerne. FruheNeuzeit, 87. Max Niemeyer, Ttibingen, 2003. xv + 596 pp. Notes. Illustrations.Appendix. Index. EI48.oo. BETWEEN the Great Wars the Baltic States were culturally, politically, and economically oriented toward the West. To a considerable extent, this reflectedthe changed political situation:not only were they no longer part of a large tsaristempire, but the Soviet Union was essentiallyclosed off so that they were no longer a bridge between Russia and WesternEurope. The new states of Estonia and Latvia were dominated numerically by the native peoples, but they had less than two decades of experience managing their national affairs. This meant that the formerly dominant Baltic German minority still exercised considerable influence -the once powerful nobles were a declining force, but their seven-hundred-years'presence in the land guaranteed that their opinions would still be heard in cultural matters; the Baltic German middle classand intelligentsiawere stillimportantin commercial and educational affairs.There was also aJewish presence in some towns. While some ruraldistrictscould have been visited by time travellersfrom the past without culture shock, port cities were international centres, visited by shipsfrommany countries,but most of allfrom Germany. Lithuaniawas an anomaly, Lithuanianshaving previouslybeen considered a Central European people; they were overwhelming Roman Catholic, with interests far different than those of the Protestantsto the north. After I9I9 their historic capital was in Poland and populated heavily by Poles andJews, their temporarypolitical centre was Kaunas, and the port city of Memel had a significant German population. Thus, only now was Lithuania oriented more toward the Baltic Sea and the West than centred in the traditional highlands of the interior. Similarly, Finland was so closely connected to Sweden that its culturalheritagewas significantlydifferentfrom the statesto REVIEWS 753 the south. This volume is, therefore, concerned only with the Baltic German heritage in Estonia and Latvia, where the German-speakingpercentages of thepopulation in I934-35 wereonly1.5 percentand3.2 percentrespectively and were in rapiddecline. The libraries of the Baltic States reflected these multi-national societies. The GermanBalticinfluencewasunderstandablyveryimportant Germanspeaking intellectuals, scientists and theologians had produced almost all books, pamphlets and correspondenceuntil the nineteenth century. This was gatheredinto well-organizedlibrariesin Tallinn, Tartu,Riga, Mitau, Kaunas and Vilnius. The Hitler-Stalin Pact was the beginning of an abrupt end to this world. First, the Germans were evacuated hurriedly under the direction of librarian Helmut Weiss, a figure well known to subsequent generations through his energetic participation in conferences and his scholarly work throughout a long life. This reviewer rememberswell his telling the story of how he dared not create a list of Baltic Germans, lest Soviet authorities confiscateit in orderto round up potential enemies, but insteadmemorized it; and how stressfulit was to tell some individualsthattheycould boardthe ships and to inform others that they could not. This was followed by Soviet deportationsof many of the survivingelites, especially those who could have maintained the abandoned libraries.Then came the Hitler invasion, followed by the near extermination of theJews and Gypsiesand a furtherreduction of the Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian leadership. Then the Soviets came back, punishing those who might be guilty of, or suspected of, cooperation with the Nazi regime, and then bringingin vast numbersof Russian-speaking managers and workers who soon came to dominate some areas...