Austrumzemes Valsts komisārs

Austrumzemes Valsts komisārs  

On 17 July 1941, the Reichskommissariat Ostland "Eastlan") was established, soon uniting German-occupied Lithuania, Latvia (from 1 September 1941), Estonia (from 5 December 1941), and Belarus. Ostland was organized into four General Districts (Generalbezirke); only the (Latvian) capital city of Riga (Gebiet Riga Stadt) was directly administered by the Reichskommissar für das Ostland. Four Generalkommissars were subordinated to the Reichskommissar für das Ostland: the Generalkommissar in Riga, Reval, Kaeun and Minsk. The two incumbents were: Hinrich Lohse (b. 1896 – d. 1964), NSDAP (held the position from 17 July 1941 – 26 September 1944); and Erich Koch (b. 1896 – d. 1986), NSDAP (26 September 1944 – 2 February 1945. Koch was de facto ousted on 13 October 1944, when the Soviet Red Army took Riga, although Ostland was not officially dissolved until 2 February 1945. 

Austrumzemes Valsts komisārs