Research on Holocaust in Dvinsk's file / תיק – מחקר על השואה בדווינסק

These sources document the History of the Jewish community in Daugavpils (Dvinsk) in Latvia during the 1960s The HolocaustThe material includes Historical research By Zalman Yaakov, alongside personal testimonies and photographs of key figures, survivors and memorial sites in the city. The texts shed light on The destruction of the community, the cruel fate of family members and life in the ghetto under the Nazi occupation. Between the pages appear Heartbreaking descriptions of personal loss alongside efforts to commemorate the victims in synagogues and monuments. The collection of sources serves asHand of Memory to a perished community, while preserving the names and faces of those who perished.

The sources before us focus on documenting the destruction of the Jewish community in the city Devinsk (Dougbevilles) in Latvia during the Holocaust, with an emphasis on his personal research and memories. Zalman Yaakov (H16-1f, H16-2f).

Key figures

• Zalman Yaakov: A Holocaust survivor and the researcher behind the collection of information and documentation of the Holocaust in Dvinsk (H16-1f). Yakov dedicated his work to commemorating the destroyed community and documenting the atrocities (H16-2f).
• Characters from the community: The sources show pictures of prominent figures in the community, including Rabbi Pinchas of Dolinsk, Rosa Friedland, Paul Cromin, Jacob Israelite, and Alter and Dora Berkowitz (H16-1f).
• Members of the Jacob family: In a personal text dedicated to the repose of their souls, his sister is mentioned Leica and his brother Zeev (Yitzhak), who were murdered by the Nazis and their Latvian helpers (H16-1f). Brother Zeev is described as someone who did much for the family until his last moments in the synagogue (H16-1f).

Events and key locations

• The conquest of the city and first decrees: The Nazi occupation of Dvinsk began on June 26, 1941 (H16-2f). Immediately upon the start of the occupation, harsh decrees were imposed on the Jews, including forced labor, the obligation to wear the yellow patch, and a ban on using the sidewalks (H16-2f).
• The establishment of the ghetto: In July 1941, the city's Jews were ordered to move to a small area in an old fortress ("The Fort") across the Dvina River, where a ghetto was established under conditions of overcrowding, hunger, and unbearable sanitation (H16-2f).
• Pogulanka Forest: The main site of the mass murder of the Jews of Dvinsk and the surrounding area. Sources document commemorations held in this forest near the tombstone in memory of the thousands of victims murdered there in the various Aktions (H16-1f, H16-2f).
• Railway Plantation ("Plantation"): Another place where mass graves of Jews were found, including men who were released from prison (H16-1f).
• Commemoration: After the war, monuments and memorial sites were erected in Dvinsk and at the murder sites to commemorate the victims who perished between 1941 and 1944 (H16-1f).

Nature of the sources

The sources include a combination of Historical photographs, captions for photos documenting sites and people, and Detailed handwriting In Hebrew (H16-1f, H16-2f). The manuscript reviews the history of Dvinsk, the demographic structure of the Jewish community before the war, and the various stages of the extermination (H16-2f).

List of sources

• H16-1f : A file that includes photos of figures from the Dvinsk community, murder and memorial sites, and a personal memorial text for the author's brother and sister.
• H16-2f : A handwritten document detailing the history of the Dvinsk community, the events of the Nazi occupation, the establishment of the ghetto, and the Aktions in the Pogolyanka Forest.

 

– H16-1f

– H16-2f

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