Abrene File / תיק קהילה

These sources cover the complex history of the city and the districtAvernae(also known by its Latvian name)Youngaltgala), from its development as a commercial center to the territorial disputes betweenLatvia to RussiaThe documentation includes detailed statistical data from 1935 onDemographics, the economy, and educational institutions in the region, while emphasizing the multiculturalism that characterized it. A significant portion of the texts is devoted to the fate ofThe Jewish communityThe local community, whose vibrant religious and social life was brutally cut short by the German invasion and the murder of the families that remained in the area in the summer of 1941. In addition, the sources analyze thePolitical changesAfter World War II, the territory was transferred to the Soviet Union, a move that has remained a diplomatic bone of contention until modern times. The sequence of documents combinesArchival documentation, official statistical lists and historical research to paint a complete picture of the border settlement throughout the 20th century.

The cityAbrene, also known by its namesJaunlatgaleIn Latvian,PytalovoIn Russian andAbrehnenIn German, it is a city in Latgale County in eastern Latvia. The city developed as a commercial center around a railway junction and was used to market grain and flax crops.

Below is a breakdown of the city and the Jewish community that lived there according to the sources:

Historical and demographic background

• government:The city was formerly part of the Pskov Oblast of Russia, but from 1920 to 1940 it was part of independent Latvia. In 1944, during World War II, the region was transferred to the control of the Soviet Union (Russian Soviet Republic), and today the city is in Russian territory.
• Population:According to the 1935 census, the city had a population of 1,242. The ethnic composition was diverse and included 626 Russians, 479 Latvians, 61 Jews, and smaller groups of Poles, Belarusians, Germans, and Lithuanians.

The Jewish community in Aberna

The Jewish community in the city was small but had an organized community life:

• demography:In 1935, the community consisted of61 people(about 15 families), which constituted about 5% of all city residents.
• Education and Culture:Most of the Jewish children attended the local school. In the mid-1930s, the Zionist youth movement was active there."Herzliya".
• Religion and organization:The religious needs of the community were taken care of by a local committee. A"room"Which also served as a house of prayer, and contained a sacred ark and a Torah scroll. The last committee of the community was elected in 1939 and included three members and three alternates.

Holocaust period

With the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the fate of the community changed:

• escape:Thousands of refugees passed through the city on their way eastward into the interior of the Soviet Union.Most of the Jews of Averna abandoned the city.And they joined these refugees, and some managed to escape in this way.
• The remaining:Only one Jew remained in the city itself. One Jewish family (the Aizov/Isaac family) hid in a nearby village, but they were discovered by the Germans and murdered in
• the first week of July 1941.

List of Sources

• C2-1 – File from Beit Hatfutzot
• C2-2 – Abrene (Jaunlatgale) from book "Pilsetu apraksti". Vol 1. Page 149-152
• C2-3 – Abrene
  Dov Levin
• C2-4 – Abrene. File from Beit Hatfutzot
• C2-5 – Abrene from Wikipedia
• 142-1 – Holocaust in Abrene. Local Commission materials
  Из акта Абренской комиссии о злодеяниях н/ф захватчиков
  1944

C2-1 – File from Beit Hatfutzot

C2-2 – Abrene (Jaunlatgale) from book "Pilsetu apraksti". Vol 1. Page 149-152
V. Salnais, A. Maldups

C2-3 – Abrene from book "Pinkas Hakehilot" – Abrene.
Dov Levin

C2-4 – Abrene. File from Beit Hatfutzot.

C2-5 – Abrene from Wikipedia.

142-1 – Holocaust in Abrene. Local Commission materials
Из акта Абренской комиссии о злодеяниях н/ф захватчиков
1944

** end of Abrene files **

**Press to go back to Communities Table**