President of the Republic congratulated Professor Doctor Boris Meissner, an Honorary Doctor of Tartu University, on behalf of the people of Estonia on the occasion of his 85th birthday. In his letter of congratulations, the President emphasised that the legal continuity of our state has been the basis of the restoration of Estonia's independence, and that the presentation and upholding of this idea, as well as bringing it to the consciousness of politicians, has been the content of Boris Meissner's work for decades.

In his works, Boris Meissner claimed that the incorporation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the Soviet Union was an act of violence committed with military force by the Red Army. He also claimed that the restoration of the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is realistic. It is a paradox that Boris Meissner's activities in this field were also recognised by the Soviet secret service, who organised the publication of articles compromising him in the media of the Estonian SSR and other Baltic Socialist Republics.

On the proposal of President of the Republic, the President of the Republic's Cultural Foundation will arrange a competition of essays on law concerning the works of Boris Meissner on the legal continuity of the Baltic States and the unlawfulness of the incorporation of the Baltic States.

The biography of Boris Meissner

Boris Meissner was born on August 10, 1915, in Pskov, as a son of state prosecutor Artur Meissner. In 1932, he finished the private secondary school of the Pärnu Educational Society and, in 1932-1935, studied at the department of economics of the faculty of law of Tartu University where he also graduated. He also studied law at the faculty of law in 1935-1939. Was a member of the Baltic German fraternity Neobaltia. In 1939 left for Germany as a resettler, studied law at the University of Posen (Poznań) until 1940, and was an assistant professor in 1939 at the same university, and later at Breslau (Wrocław) University. Served in the German Army 1940-1945. In 1946-1953 he studied law at Hamburg University, where he also defended his doctoral thesis ''Die sowjetische Intervention im Baltikum und die völkerrechtliche Problematik der baltischen Frage'' (The Soviet Intervention to the Baltic States and the International Legal Aspects of the Baltic Question) in 1955. Was a Referent of Eastern Law at the Institute of International and Foreign Law of Hamburg University at 1946-1953, and also an official of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1953-1956 and in 1958-1959, and the Counsellor of the German Embassy in Moscow in 1956-1958. Also after his resignation form foreign service, Boris Meissner advised the German Foreign Ministry in matters concerning the Soviet Union and the Baltic States. In 1959-1964, Boris Meissner was a Professor at Kiel University, and from 1964 to 1985 a professor at Cologne University. Lives at Cologne.

Boris Meissner is an honorary member of the German Society of East European Studies, and a member of the Academy of Sciences of Rhein-Westphalia, the Committee of Baltic History, and many other scientific societies. From 1993, he is also a member of the Society of Friends of Baltic Universities and Academies.

Boris Meissner is a chevalier of the I Class Distinguished Service Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany (1979), the I Class Order of the Northern Star of Sweden(1977), and the I Class Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land of the Republic of Estonia, and other decorations.

He was elected the Honorary Doctor of Law of Tartu University in 1996.

Boris Meissner has published 69 books and 400 articles. Of his works, ''Die Sowjetunion, die baltischen Staaten und das Völkerrecht'' (1956), where he explains the illegality of the Soviet occupation of Estonia from the viewpoint of international law, is the most relevant for Estonia. In 1995, when Boris Meissner celebrated his jubilee, a collection of articles ''Die baltischen Staaten im Weltpolitischen und völkerrechtlichen Wandel. Beiträge 1954–1994'', was published.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, August 9, 2000

back | archive of press releases | main page