# Ostland
**Wikidata**: [Q120077360](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q120077360)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ostland

## Summary
Ostland was a German-language newspaper published monthly in Riga, Lithuania, from 1942 to 1944. Titled "Monatsschrift der Reichskommissare für das Ostland" (Monthly Publication of the Reich Commissioners for the Ostland), it served German-Russian and Baltic German communities during World War II.

## Key Facts
- **Title:** Ostland
- **Subtitle:** Monatsschrift der Reichskommissare für das Ostland (Monthly Publication of the Reich Commissioners for the Ostland)
- **Type:** Newspaper
- **Country:** Lithuania
- **Place of Publication:** Riga
- **Inception:** 1942
- **Dissolved/Abolished:** 1944
- **Target Audience:** German-Russians, Baltic Germans
- **ZDB ID:** 531979-1
- **Digital Access:** http://periodika.lndb.lv/#periodicalItem:22
- **Bibliographic Source:** Bibliographie deutschsprachiger Periodika aus dem östlichen Europa (Bibliography of German-Language Periodicals from Eastern Europe)

## FAQs
**What was the purpose of Ostland newspaper?**
Ostland functioned as the official monthly publication of the Reich Commissioners for the Ostland, a German administrative entity during World War II. It targeted German-Russian and Baltic German populations in the occupied Eastern territories.

**Where and when was Ostland published?**
The newspaper was published in Riga, Lithuania, beginning in 1942 and ceasing publication in 1944. This timeframe corresponds with the German occupation of the Baltic states during World War II.

**How can researchers access Ostland today?**
The publication is cataloged under ZDB ID 531979-1 and is accessible digitally through the Latvian National Digital Library at periodika.lndb.lv. It is also documented in the Bibliography of German-Language Periodicals from Eastern Europe.

## Why It Matters
Ostland represents a significant primary source for understanding German administrative structures and propaganda efforts in the occupied Eastern territories during World War II. As a publication explicitly tied to the Reich Commissioners for the Ostland, it provides historians and researchers with insight into how German authorities communicated with ethnic German populations in the Baltic region. The newspaper's existence from 1942 to 1944 corresponds directly with the period of German civil administration in the Reichskommissariat Ostland, making it a valuable artifact for studying wartime media, occupation policies, and the experiences of Baltic German and German-Russian communities during this period.

## Notable For
- Being the official monthly publication of the Reich Commissioners for the Ostland administrative body
- Serving as a German-language periodical specifically targeting German-Russian and Baltic German ethnic communities
- Operating during the German occupation of the Baltic states (1942–1944)
- Being preserved and digitized in the Latvian National Digital Library
- Receiving bibliographic documentation in the specialized Bibliographie deutschsprachiger Periodika aus dem östlichen Europa

## Body

### Classification and Nature
Ostland is classified as a newspaper, a scheduled publication format that contains news of events, articles, features, editorials, and advertising. As a periodical, it belongs to the broader category of printed press and print-native publications. The newspaper format is formally recognized under UNSPSC Code 55101504 and Dewey Decimal classification 070.

### Publication Details
The newspaper carried the full subtitle "Monatsschrift der Reichskommissare für das Ostland," indicating its function as a monthly journal serving the administrative apparatus of the Reichskommissariat Ostland. It was published in Riga, which served as the administrative center of the German occupation regime in the Baltic region. The country of publication is recorded as Lithuania, reflecting the geopolitical organization of the occupied territories during this period.

### Operational Timeline
Ostland began publication in 1942, approximately one year after the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the establishment of the Reichskommissariat Ostland. The newspaper ceased operations in 1944, coinciding with the Soviet reconquest of the Baltic states and the collapse of German civil administration in the region. This two-year operational span aligns with the period of German occupational control over Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and parts of Belarus.

### Target Readership
The publication specifically served two ethnic German communities: German-Russians (ethnic Germans living in or originating from Russia) and Baltic Germans (ethnic Germans with historical roots in the Baltic region). These populations represented significant demographic groups under the jurisdiction of the Reichskommissariat Ostland and were key targets of German resettlement and administrative policies during the occupation.

### Bibliographic Documentation
Ostland is cataloged in multiple library and bibliographic systems. It holds ZDB ID 531979-1 in the German Zeitschriften Datenbank (German Serials Database), the primary union catalog for serials in German-speaking countries. The publication is documented in the Bibliographie deutschsprachiger Periodika aus dem östlichen Europa (Bibliography of German-Language Periodicals from Eastern Europe), a specialized reference work tracking German-language publications in Eastern European territories.

### Digital Preservation
The complete run of Ostland has been digitized and is accessible through the Latvian National Digital Library at the URL http://periodika.lndb.lv/#periodicalItem:22. This digital preservation ensures continued scholarly access to the publication as a historical primary source. The digitization project represents collaborative efforts between Latvian memory institutions and international bibliographic initiatives to preserve periodicals from the Eastern European region.