Hans Rebane

Hans Rebane (born 12 Dezemberjul / 24 December 1882greg Farm Ärma in the community Abja, then parish Halliste, Estonia, .. † December 16, 1961 in Stockholm, Sweden) was an Estonian journalist, politician and diplomat. He was from 1927 to 1928 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia. He had The same official also between 1945 and 1949 in the Estonian government in exile held.

Journalism

Hans Rebane was born on the farm Ärma in today Viljandi County. He put his Abitur at the boys' high school in Pärnu. Rebane studied medicine from 1903 at the University of Tartu and later economics in Berlin. From 1906 to 1917 he was editor of the Estonian Postimees and from 1918 to 1927 editor of the newspaper Eesti Päevaleht.

Politics and diplomacy

After the founding of the Republic of Estonia ( Treaty of Dorpat ) Rebane was also politically active. He was first deputy in the Estonian Parliament. From December 9, 1927 to November 9, 1928, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia's Prime Minister Jaan Tõnisson. Then Rebane was 1931-1937 Estonian ambassador in Finland. Subsequently, he was appointed ambassador to Latvia, where he had to experience the occupation of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union.

Exile

1940 Rebane was arrested along with other Estonian diplomats from the Soviet authorities. During transport on a prison ship, he succeeded, however, to jump overboard. Rebane survived and fled into exile in Sweden in 1944. From January 15 1945 to 24 June 1949, he was Secretary of the Estonian government in exile. The validity of his appointment will be questioned by the Estonian side, accepted by the Estonian government today, however. Hans Rebane died in 1961 and was buried in Stockholm.

Aftermath

Since early 2006, the nonpartisan European Institute bears his name in Estonia. Hans Rebane is the great uncle of the Estonian politician Toomas Hendrik Ilves.