Valmiera file / תיק קהילה

These sources document the Jewish history in Latvia, focusing on communities To Valmira and AlswangenThe collection includes Genealogical documents, correspondence between researchers and demographic lists detailing the growth of the community starting in the 19th century. A large portion of the material is devoted to documentation Holocaust period, including reports of the murder of Jews in the local forests and the discovery of mass graves after the liberation. In addition, the sources provide Statistical and geographical reviews about the region and examines the process of adopting surnames among the Jews of the Courland region. This is a mosaic of Historical research and testimonies Shedding light on daily life, community institutions, and the tragedy that befell Latvian Jewry.

Historical background and development of the communities

The town To Valmira (Valmiera; in German: Walmart; In Russian: Volmar), located in the district Talsi In the province Vidzeme (former Lappland), founded in the 13th century by To Valmar, King of Denmark, and was named after him (C46-1f, C46-4f). The settlement was established on the bank of the river The pride (C46-3f). In 1795 the region was annexed to Russia, and from 1920 to 1940 it was part of independent Latvia (C46-1f, C46-4f). The Jewish community there was originally organized by "Cantonists" (Jewish soldiers who were kidnapped as children into the army of Tsar Nicholas I with the aim of converting them to Christianity and serving in the army), which they established in 1886 synagogue andHope (C46-1f, C46-4f). At the beginning of the period of independent Latvian rule, about 20 Jewish families lived in the city (C46-5f).

Another town mentioned in the sources is Elswangen (Alschwangen; in Latvian: Alsunga), located in the region Courland (C46-10f). According to the sources, before the 19th century, the Jews of Lithuania (some of whom had immigrated to the region) did not have surnames and were identified by their Hebrew names or by their profession and the street where they lived (C46-10f). On December 9, 1804, the Tsar issued Alexander I An edict ("Emperor's Regulation Concerning the Organization of the Jews") requiring every Jew to adopt a permanent surname, although the researcher of surnames Dr. Alexander Bader Indicates that the law was not strictly enforced (C46-10f). Another decree of the Tsar Nicholas I From May 31, 1835, he repeated this demand (C46-10f).

Demography, economics and education

Demographics of Jews To Valmira show fluctuations over the years: in 1866 there were 14 Jews living there (1% of the population), and in 1897 the community reached a peak of 166 people (3% of the population) (C46-3f). After that, there was a decline: in 1920 there were 102 Jews, and in 1933 there were 93 Jews out of a total population of 8,482 (C46-1f, C46-3f). Most of the city's Jews were engaged in trade inSkins Andtree, as well as in various crafts such as hat making and tailoring (C46-1f, C46-4f). In 1923, a Mutual credit union which was also used by Jews from neighboring communities (C46-1f, C46-18).

In the field of education, in 1922 aTo Valmira A Yiddish elementary school that operated for several years (C46-1f, C46-4f). In 1928, the following were opened: kindergarten and a first grade in Hebrew, but these did not last long and were closed shortly thereafter (C46-1f, C46-4f, C46-3f). Relations between the local Christian population and the Jews are described in the sources as good (C46-1f, C46-23).

Holocaust period in Bulmira

The Holocaust period began following an agreement Ribbentrop-Molotov From 1939 and the entry of the Red Army into Latvia in the summer of 1940 (C46-1f, C46-4f). With the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany in June 1941, refugees and Soviet institutions passed through the city on their way to Estonia (C46-3f). There are conflicting versions of the fate of the Jews at this stage: one version claims that most of the Jews remained in place, while another version (originally described as "rumor") claims that they all managed to escape before the German occupation (C46-1f, C46-23).

The German army occupied the To Valmira On July 4, 1941 (C46-1f, C46-3f). Already in the first week of the occupation, arrests, interrogations and murders of Jews by local Latvians began (C46-1f, C46-4f). Jews from the city as well as Jewish refugees from other places were held in the local prison, who were murdered in the surrounding forests (C46-1f, C46-22). By mid-October 1941, about 209 Jews had been shot dead in the area (C46-1f, C46-22). The official German report states that the murders were carried out by "Self-Defense Forces" Latvians under the command of German officers (C46-3f). After the liberation of the city by the Red Army on September 23, 1944, a mass grave of Nazi victims, including Jews, was discovered in the yard of the local prison (C46-1f, C46-3f).

Prominent figures and collaborators

The sources expand on the figures of local collaborators who were involved in the murders. Julius Ioannisakis (Julius Jaunsnikeris), the head of the local auxiliary police, commanded the "purification" operations and issued official orders on the subject (C46-7f). Other prominent figures were the brothers Arnolds Leopolds Ronca (Arnold Leopold Runka) andWillis Arvids Ronka (Vilis Arvīds Runka) (C46-7f). Arnolds Ronca, who was an officer in the Latvian army, became the organizer and executor of mass murders in the concentration camp To the village of Myermoyza (Valmiermuiža) (C46-7f).

Sources describe specific atrocities, such as the murder of 315 children in the area To Valmira by the murderous gang of Johnsnikris (C46-7f). Another case describes how in May 1942 about fifty Jews and Gypsies were led to execution in a cart drawn by a large horse (C46-7f). Among the victims mentioned by name: Daniel Tanklowicz (Daniels Tankelovics), savings fund cashier Hermanis Libmanis (Hermanis Libmanis) aged 67, and Dr. Lydia Kirenstein (Lidija Kirhenšteine), director of a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients (C46-7f).

List of unique terms

Below are terms that appear in the sources that require clarification:

• Cantonists: Jewish children who were forcibly taken for long-term service in the Russian Empire's army in the 19th century (C46-1f).
• Vidzeme: One of the historical regions of Latvia, in the north of the country (C46-1f).
• Courland: A historical region in western Latvia (C46-10f).
• To Valmiermuiža: A site near Valmiera that served as a concentration camp and murder site (C46-7f).
• Sonderfihrer (Zonderfireru): A special rank or position in the Nazi apparatus, sometimes with professional qualifications (C46-7f).
• Self-defense forces (Aizsargi/Self-defense): A Latvian militia organization whose members collaborated with the Nazis in the murder of Jews (C46-7f).

List of sources

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