Monument of Lihula

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Lihula is a small town in Estonia in the cemetery of which a monument depicting an Estonian soldier in a World War II German uniform, resembling the SS-uniform, was unveiled on August 20, 2004, with a dedication as follows: To Estonian men who fought in 1940-1945 against Bolshevism and for the restoration of Estonian independence.

Lihula monument

1 Controversy
2 Removal of the monument
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Controversy

As the dedication included those who fought in the Wehrmacht against Bolshevism, as written in the dedication, it received international condemnation, especially from Jews and the organizations supporting Jews^{[citation needed]}. However, it is maintained by those who support the monument that the Estonians in the German Army, including Waffen SS units, had fought for their fatherland and had not been involved in war crimes^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Removal of the monument

In 2004, the international organizations strongly protested against this monument and demanded that it be taken down. The Estonian Government, bending under pressure from the EU and the U.S.A.^{[citation needed]} ordered the monument to be removed.

The crane which was to have removed the monument from Lihula could not enter the cemetery because of a crowd of protesting people. The Security Police were called in, but as they arrived, local people started to throw stones at them and the driver of the crane. After a fight between the crowd and the police, the people were driven back, and some police were transported to hospital because of superficial wounds^{[citation needed]}.

The monument was removed and at the moment it is in a private museum in Lagedi, near Tallinn.