At the harbor of Slite, Gotland. Memorial erected by Latvian refugees as a token of gratitude for the help they received upon arrival in Sweden.
During most of the Second World War the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were occupied by Germany. At first the Germans were greeted as liberators. However, by and by the German occupying power took to wielding their power by terror and outrage towards the civilian population. Towards the end of the war the Baltic states faced another occupation as the Soviet armed forces launched their offensive towards the Baltic states during Autumn 1944 in order to eliminate the German occupying power. In October 1944 the main part of the German invasion army in the Baltic states was defeated. The Soviet armed forces had advanced to the Baltic Sea. Where the Russians passed by executions and mass deportations were common both in Estonia as well as in Latvia and Lithuania. Thus many Balts were forced to run away and the escape across the Baltic Sea was a highly dramatic experience for many people. Mostly the flight from the Baltic states to Sweden was effected by boat. Sometimes people had to wait for weeks to get on board one of the refugee vessels to Sweden. The refugees took great risks. If discovered their attempts to escape were most often punished by death. All kinds of boats were used for the flight.
Although most vessels had been confiscated by the two occupational forces people managed to get hold of some kind of boat in the most incredible ways. Almost useless old boats were barely adequately put in order. Sometimes the crowding aboard was almost unbearable. The following testimony is a good example of the crowded milieu on board the boat. A shipmaster once declared that upon sighting the coast of Gotland he dared not tell the other passengers. If just one of them had risen out of joy the boat inevitably would have turned.
This picture was taken in the harbor of Slite. In the background can be seen the cement factory which became the landmark out at sea for the refugee boats from the Baltic states. In the foreground rests one of the refugee boats - one of few still left. The length of this boat is about four meters. It is made of sheet iron and once belonged to the German army. During the invasion of the Baltic states the Germans brought along these boats to be able to cross rivers and streams easily. Obviously somebody stole the boat to use it for the escape to Sweden. .
The majority of the Baltic refugees arrived at the northern part of Gotland. Most of them reached Slite guided by the smokestacks of the cement factory visible far out at sea. The District Police Superintendent of Slite, Berthil Bonde, was the person who most often had the first contact with the refugees and he did a most sacrificing job to take care of them in the best possible way. The lack of lodging sometimes forced him to use his own home as a temporary shelter for refugees. Somebody said that these days there was a flood of babies’ excrement and gruel in the home of the District Police Superintendent. About 11 000 refugees found their way to Gotland from the Baltic states during the last wartime years (1943 - 1945). Of these 6 400 refugees were Estonians, 3 600 were Latvians and 240 Lithuanians. Moreover during the month of May 1945 600 German soldiers arrived from the Baltic states. In all it is estimated that about 35 000 Balts sought refuge in Sweden during the war. In the town of Visby special refugee camps were erected at the Salvation army centre, the Secondary Grammar School, The Helgeand Church, on the Odd Fellow premises, Smyrna, the Solhem boarding house and the Snäckgärd bathing place, just to mention a few. The refugee camp "Lager Tornhalle" was set up in the gymnasium of the Secondary Grammar School on September 28, 1944 and during one month about 2 000 refugees passed this camp. At its most 600 refugees lived here at one and the same time. They slept on a bed of straw strayed on the floor.
At the Solhem summer hotel in Visby a ward was arranged. A maternity hospital for pregnant Estonian women was put up on the Odd Fellow premises in Visby. From September 24 until November 4, 1944 seven children were born here, four boys and three girls. As a souvenir from the brothers of the Odd Fellow lodge every new-born child was presented with a silver spoon. All flight enterprises did not end well. Many refugees lost their lives when attempting to reach the freedom in Sweden. Many boats were lost in the Baltic Sea during the Autumn storms in 1944 and others were discovered by Russian planes and were shot at.
Some of those seeking refuge in Sweden were not allowed to stay. This was the case with e.g. 2 300 Germans and 146 Balts who later on were returned to Russia according to a decision taken by the Swedish government. The 146 Baltic citizens (the correct number should be 152) were returned on January 25, 1946. In Sweden this event is known as the Baltic extradition. After the Baltic extradition many Baltic citizens who had taken their refuge to Sweden began doubting the Swedish capability of properly protecting them. Many people therefore chose to continue their emigration to USA and Canada.
The person who today knows most about the escape from the Baltic states is Bengt-Göran Holmert in Visby. When still a young boy he was deeply engaged in the situation of the Baltic refugees. His father, David Holmert, worked as a photographer and made a comprehensive photo documentation of the arrival of the Baltic refugees to Gotland. Some of these photos were included in an exhibition presented among other places in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Visby, Karlskrona, Malmö and in Tallinn. This unique photo documentation - where many of the pictures are full of drama - have been put together to a book about the escape.
Photo exhibition by Bengt-Göran Holmert about the escape from the Baltic States.
Bengt Göran presents himself and his book.