Who killed the latvian Jews's file / תיק – מי הרג את יהודי לטביה

The sources presented deal with documentation The Holocaust in Latvia and the dramatic political changes the country experienced between 1940 and 1945. The materials include extensive bibliographical lists, data tables, and archival photographs detailing the The three periods of occupation under the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Special emphasis is placed on Murder of Latvian Jews, examining the role of the German security forces and local auxiliary units in perpetrating the atrocities. In addition, the texts discuss historiographical debates regarding the extent to which Collective responsibility of the local population and present data on mass deportations to Siberia. The researcher's work Andrews Ezra Gailis stands out as a central axis in the analysis of the organizational structure of the extermination forces and their impact on the fate of the Jewish community. The information combines academic review with testimonies and official documents that commemorate the The national tragedy and the human condition in Latvia at that time.

The Holocaust in Latvia (1941–1944) occurred against the backdrop of three successive periods of occupation: the first Soviet occupation (June 1940), the Nazi occupation (July 1941), and the return to Soviet occupation (1944–1945) (H39-1f). With the entry of German forces into Latvia in June 1941, a rapid process of extermination of the Jewish population began, which was carried out in three main stages: from July to October 1941 (murder of approximately 30,000 Jews in the field towns and Riga), November–December 1941 (liquidation of the Riga ghetto and the Rumbula massacre), and January to July 1942 (liquidation of Jews brought from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia) (H39-1f, H39-2f).

The mechanisms of murder and local cooperation

The extermination of the Jews in Latvia was not carried out by the Germans alone. While the leadership of the operation was in the hands of theSS And theEinsatzgruppe A, Latvian auxiliary units played a crucial role (H39-2f).

• Heydrich's instructions: Reinhard Heydrich ordered the encouragement of "spontaneous pogroms" by the local population to present the murder as Latvian revenge for their suffering under the Soviet occupation (H39-2f, H39-4f).
• Arājs Commando: The Latvian Sonderkommando unit under the command of Viktors Arais was primarily responsible for the murder of thousands of Jews, the burning of synagogues, and active participation in the Rumbula massacre (H39-2f).
• The Schutzmannschaften: The Latvian auxiliary police units reorganized by the Germans served as a key auxiliary force in guarding the ghettos, transporting victims to the shooting sites, and carrying out murder operations in the field towns (H39-2f, H39-4f).

The extent of the victims

Of the approximately 94,000 Jews who lived in Latvia before the war, approximately 70,000 remained at the beginning of the Nazi occupation. It is estimated that approximately 73% of Latvian Jews were murdered (H39-1f). In addition to the local Jews, approximately 20,000 Jews brought from other parts of the Reich were murdered in Latvia, as well as thousands of Gypsies, Communists, and Soviet prisoners of war (H39-1f, H39-3f).

Documentation and Law

After the war, trials of Latvian and German war criminals began in Germany, the United States, and the Soviet Union (H39-3f). Much evidence was collected by Soviet investigative committees, although these often tended to inflate numbers or omit the specific Jewish identity of the victims under the general heading of "peaceful Soviet citizens" (H39-3f). The trial of Viktors Aräis in Hamburg (1976–1979) revealed many details about the unit's structure and operations (H39-3f, H39-4f).

Key figures

Nazis and collaborators:

• Walter Stahlecker: Commander of Einsatzgruppe A, who organized the beginning of the murderous operations and pogroms in Latvia (H39-1f, H39-2f).
• Friedrich Jeckeln: The supreme SS and police commander in the "Ostland", who developed the "sardine packing" method (Sardinenpackung) and commanded the Rumbola massacre (H39-2f, H39-4f).
• Viktors Arājs: Commander of the Central Latvian Homicide Unit (H39-1f, H39-2f).
• Rudolf Lange: The commander of the SD in Riga, who was directly involved in planning and carrying out the murder (H39-2f, H39-4f).
• Herberts Cukurs: Prominent member of the Arais unit (mentioned in the context of post-war testimonies) (H39-3f).
• Voldemārs Veiss: A senior Latvian officer who collaborated with the Germans in organizing the police forces (H39-2f).

Victims and survivors (witnesses appearing in the documentation):

• Frida Michelson: A survivor of the Rumbola massacre who provided important testimony about the murder events (H39-4f).
• Matiss Lutriņš: A Jewish survivor who worked under the Arais unit and provided testimony in trials (H39-3f).
• Zelda Šepšolovica: A survivor who provided testimony about the atrocities (H39-3f).
• Ella Medaje: Her survival is documented in manuscripts from the period (H39-4f).
• Isaak Adler: A survivor who provided a statement about his experiences (H39-3f).

List of sources

• H39-1f : A general historical overview of Latvia in the years 1940-1945, including details on the periods of Soviet and Nazi occupation and the stages of the extermination of the Jews.
• H39-2f : An in-depth article by A. Azaregailis discussing the question "Who murdered the Jews of Latvia?", analyzing the role of the Germans and local collaborators.
• H39-3f : A document dealing with evidence of war crimes from Soviet Latvia, including lists of affidavits from witnesses and survivors and details of legal proceedings.
• H39-4f : Excerpts from the book "The Holocaust in Latvia 1941-1944" including data tables, lists of SD members, photos, and detailed factual content.

 

– H39-1f

– H39-2f

– H39-3f

– H39-4f

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