According to the available records, the Commission estimates that around 35,000 people fell during the Second World War. They are originally distributed across approximately 1,700 grave locations. According to estimates by the German Red Cross, around 10,000 Germans died in captivity in Estonia. The registration of prisoner of war cemeteries has not yet been completed. The Commission has no concrete data on German losses in the First World War.
The war graves agreement between Estonia and Germany was signed on October 12, 1995 and came into force on October 26, 1996. The Commission's partner in Estonia is the state office for the protection of historical monuments in Tallinn (Reval). There are also close links with the Ministry of Culture and numerous local authorities and institutions.
The construction of cemeteries in Estonia was completed in 2002 with the dedication of the Toila Cemetery, the last of the planned 15 sites. By then, construction work had already been completed at the cemeteries in Ahtme, Jöhvi, Kukruse, Kohtla-Järve, Kuressaare (Arensburg), Lavassaare, Narva (Narwa), Pärnu (Pernau), Viljandi (Fellin), Rakvere (Wesenberg), Tartu (Dorpat), Tallinn-Maarjamäe (Reval), Tallinn-Pirita and Valga. The cemeteries in Narva and Kuressaare serve as central collection points. The war cemeteries in Pärnu and Viljandi also include graves from the surrounding areas. The dead from the First World War are also buried in Pärnu and Viljandi.