Testimony pages of Jews in Riga 1941-1944's file / תיק – עמודי עדות של יהודים בריגה 1941-1944

These documents include Detailed lists of Holocaust victims from Riga and its surroundings, based on research in archives in Latvia. Genealogical information The tables indicate the names, dates of birth, family relationships, and circumstances of death of hundreds of Jews, many of whom were murdered. In the Riga Ghetto or perished in local prisons. The attached letter explains that the records were collected from official death certificates, rabbinical announcements, and declaratory judgments issued after the war. The purpose of the project is Record names who do not appear in Yad Vashem databases to assist family members in locating the fate of their loved ones. The combination of The raw data The administrative explanation sheds light on the bureaucratic processes that documented the destruction of the community.
This file contains approximately 650 pages of testimony (source: Yad Vashem). Due to the size of the file, it is not possible to present them here. Most of the pages of testimony are in Russian (H85-1f).

The documents before us document a significant memorial and historiographical project that focused on revealing the fate of the Jews of Riga during the Holocaust. The project, known as "Latvian Dialogues" (Latvian Dialogues), led by the researcher Tamara Zitzera (Tamara Zitcere), who worked to document victims whose names were missing from the Yad Vashem databases (H85-2f, H85-4f).

Archival documentation and key discoveries

The research was based on a careful scan of the Riga archives, and in particular on death records from the years 1941–1947 (H85-4f). The discoveries included:

• Prison records: Death certificates issued for prisoners who died in the "Laktas 2/4" prisons and the "Matisa 3" central prison. These records indicate causes of death such as "body exhaustion" (H85-4f).
• Riga Ghetto Records: Death certificates, some of which were signed by rabbis. Tamara Zitzera Notes that some of the records included derogatory or cynical causes of death, such as "marasmus" (extreme emaciation and exhaustion) for elderly victims (H85-4f).
• Statistics: The sources present data on mortality rates in Riga. For example, in 1941, 6,063 deaths were recorded in the city, of which 643 were Jews (about 10.42%) (H85-2f).

Key figures

Below is a list of key figures and victims as they appear in the sources. The attached sources focus on the victims and investigators, and do not mention specific Nazi names (H85-2f, H85-3f).

Victims and investigators:

• Tamara Zitcere: A researcher and Holocaust survivor who initiated the documentation project and filled out hundreds of pages of testimony for Holocaust victims (H85-2f, H85-4f).
• Marcis Skadmanis: Research student who assisted Zitzera in the archival documentation and research project (H85-2f).
• Miryam Abramovich: Widow, born in 1872, died on 11.11.1941 in Riga (H85-3f).
• Arthur Aronson: Born in 1874, died on November 2, 1941 in the Riga ghetto (H85-3f).
• Israel-Chaim Arsh: Born in 1853, died on October 26, 1941 in the ghetto (H85-3f).
• David Baum: Born in 1878, died on October 28, 1943 in the Central Prison (H85-3f).
• Zelda Silberbrand: Born in 1889, died on November 22, 1941 in the ghetto (H85-3f).
• Nahum Berlin: Born in 1880, died on November 3, 1941 in the ghetto (H85-3f).

Expansion of important sources

• H85-3f: This is the most detailed source from a Semitic perspective. It contains Comprehensive data tables Including hundreds of names of Jews who were murdered or died in the Riga ghetto and prisons. The source provides valuable personal details: full name, father's name, date and place of birth, marital status, and exact date and place of death. Its importance lies in its ability to give a face and name to dry statistical numbers (H85-3f).
• H85-2f: This source provides theThe narrative and moral framework of the documentation project. It describes the encounter between the younger generation (students) and the painful history of Latvia. The document emphasizes how archival research serves as a tool for historical correction in the face of Holocaust denial or ignorance, and presents the difficulties and successes in revealing the truth (H85-2f).
• H85-4f: The importance of this source is inResearch methodologyTamara Zitzera explains in it how she was able to reconstruct the names of the victims from administrative records of prisons and ghettos, and how she deals with false records left by the occupation authorities (H85-4f).

List of sources

• H85-2f : An article describing the "Latvian Dialogues" project and the research of Tamara Zitsera and Marcis Skademanis in the Riga Archives.
• H85-3f : A document containing detailed data tables with names, biographical details, and circumstances of death of hundreds of Holocaust victims in Riga.
• H85-4f : A report by Tamara Zitzera on the completion of hundreds of pages of testimony and the types of archival sources used to identify the victims.

 

 

H85-2f

H85-3f

H85-4f

 

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