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Baltic German

German traders and missionaries first began to settle in the Baltic region, already occupied by Estonians, Lithuanians, and Latvians, in the 12th century.

The Baltic countries of Estonia, Livonia and Couronia[?] were governed directly by the Holy Roman Empire until 1561. Thereafter they were governed variously by Poland and Sweden until 1710 or 1795, depending on exact location, and then became provinces of Russia. In 1561 the Baltic Germans (Baltendeutsche), also called German Balts (Deutschbalten), had written guarantees for German language and legal system and Protestant religion.

Local (indigenous) rural people of aforementioned regions enjoyed no comparable rights under Baltic German noblesse to those of their West European counterparts; the situation in cities was in some cases better. Harsh treatment resulted in some uprisings that were suppressed by force.

A number of Baltic Germans, such as J.F.v.Eschscholtz and Adam Johann von Krusenstern became famous as explorers or scientists.

Under the Soviet Union, many of the Baltic Germans were killed off, exiled to Siberia, or otherwise expelled from their homeland.