Holocaust's file / תיק – שואה

These sources document the The extermination of Latvian Jews During World War II, combined with Official documents and difficult personal testimonies. The collection includes Nazi orders Imposing movement restrictions, the obligation to wear a yellow badge, and marking Jewish businesses in cities like Liepaja. Survivor Testimonies And handwritten notes detail the process of deportation to the ghettos, mass murders, and oppression of the local Jewish community. In addition, articles from the newspapers of the period reflect the Anti-Semitic propaganda and the locals' denial of responsibility for the atrocities. The documents serve as chilling historical evidence ofThe destruction of Jewish communities In Latvia under German occupation and their accomplices.

The documents provide a detailed and shocking picture of the persecution of Jews in Latvia under Nazi occupation, with an emphasis on the cities of Liepāja and Riga.

First decrees and orders in Liepaja

Immediately after the occupation began, strict restrictions were imposed on the Jews of Liepaja. In an order issued by the local commander Brückner on July 5, 1941, all Jews were required to wear Yellow Badge 10×10 cm in size on the chest and back (H37-1–1f, H37-1f). In addition, men aged 16–60 were required to report daily for forced labor, shopping time was limited to only two hours a day, and a ban was imposed on using public transportation or walking on the sidewalks (H37-1–1f, H37-1f). Failure to comply with these orders entailed the "severest punishment" (H37-1–1f).

Mass extermination and ghettos

• Šķēde massacre: Testimonies describe the mass murder of Jews from Liepaja in the sand dunes of Shkada and in the port area (H37-2f). The victims were forced to undress before being shot into pits (H37-2f).
• Riga Ghetto: The ghetto was divided into the "Great Ghetto" and the "Small Ghetto." Mass "Aktions" (liquidation operations) were carried out there, the most notable of which were on November 30, 1941, and December 7–9, 1941 (H37-9-16f). In these Aktions, tens of thousands of Jews were murdered in the Rumbola Forest (H37-6f).
• The fate of mixed families: Families of Jews married to non-Jews (such as the Koltman and Rosenberg families) were initially relatively protected, but in the spring of 1942 they were imprisoned in the ghetto and eventually deported to concentration camps such as Stutthof (H37-9-2f, H37-9-17f).

Resistance and partisan activity

Underground groups were organized within the ghettos. On October 25, 1942, a group of armed Jewish partisans attempted to escape the ghetto in a truck (H37-9-1f). The group was ambushed by the SS; most of them were killed in battle, and those who survived were interrogated and tortured (H37-9-1f, H37-9-4f). The underground also stockpiled weapons in secret warehouses within the ghetto (H37-9-4f, H37-9-16f).

Main characters

Victims and survivors:

• Moisejs Itrovs: A former bank employee who testified about the atrocities in Liepaja, about forced labor for the SD, and about his deportation to Stutthof (H37-2f).
• Elmārs Rivošs: A Jew who survived in hiding in the "basement" (Pagrabs) in Riga and documented his experiences (H37-8-1f, H37-8f).
• The Kultman family: A mixed family whose story documents the transition from hiding in the ghetto to deportation to Germany (H37-9-2f).
• Artur Mikhailovich: He was involved in collecting evidence about the resistance in the ghetto (H37-9-4f).
• Professor Minz: A well-known figure in the ghetto whose fate is mentioned in the lists (H37-9-9f).

Nazis and collaborators:

• Friedrich Jeckeln: The SS and police commander who was responsible for the mass extermination of Jews in Latvia (H37-6f).
• Dr. Dietrich: The SS and police commander in Liepaja who issued orders to close and prohibit leaving homes during the Aktions (H37-1f, H37-2f).
• Brückner: The local commander in Liepaja who signed the first anti-Jewish orders (H37-1–1f, H37-1f).
• Herberts Cukurs: A notorious Latvian collaborator who participated in murders (H37-2f, H37-5f).
• Sauer: The commander of the Kaiserwald concentration camp (H37-2f).

List of sources:

• H37-1–1f : Commander Brickner's order imposing strict restrictions on the Jews of Liepaja, July 1941.
• H37-1f : Document containing the Brickner order and Dr. Dietrich's announcement of a curfew for Jews in December 1941.
• H37-2f : Detailed testimony by Moises Itroves about the massacre in Shkodër, life in the ghetto, and a list of Nazi criminals.
• H37-5f : An article analyzing the history and demography of the Jews of the Baltic States under Nazi rule.
• H37-6f : A German article discussing the extermination of Latvian Jews and the role of the locals and the Nazi command (Jaklen).
• H37-8-1f : Part of the documentation of Almars Riboches's memoirs about survival in hiding in Riga.
• H37-8f : Continuation of Almars Riboches' testimony about life in the "basement" and relations with the local residents.
• H37-9-1f : Report on the attempted escape of a group of Jewish partisans from the Riga ghetto in October 1942.
• H37-9-2f : Detailed documentation of the bitter fate of mixed families (Jewish-Christian) in the Riga ghetto.
• H37-9-4f : Notes on the organization of the underground and armed resistance within the small ghetto in Riga.
• H37-9-9f : Personal notes on various figures in the Riga ghetto, including the Racina family and Professor Mintz.
• H37-9-16f : Chapter titles and dates of major events in the ghetto, including the major Aktions and the burning of synagogues.
• H37-9-17f : Lists of mixed families and locations of key sites within the Riga Ghetto.

– H37-1f

– H37-1–1f

– H37-2f

– H37-3f

– H37-4f

– H37-5f

– H37-6f

– H37-8f

– H37-8-1f

– H37-9-1f

– H37-9-10f

– H37-9-11f

– H37-9-12f

– H37-9-13f

– H37-9-14f

– H37-9-15f

– H37-9-16f

– H37-9-17f

– H37-9-2f

– H37-9-3f

– H37-9-4f

– H37-9-5f

– H37-9-6f

– H37-9-7f

– H37-9-8f

– H37-9-9f

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