Koknese file / תיק קהילה

📜 Statistical Survey of Latvian Villages 1935–1936

The sources presented provide a historical and statistical overview of the settlement. Kokenza (Koknese) in Latvia, focusing on the local Jewish community. Official documents and census data from 1935 detail the The demographic compositionThe texts describe the economic structure and the list of property and business owners in the town between the world wars. Growth of the Jewish population The smallest in the settlement, which numbered 16 people in the mid-1930s and constituted about a quarter of the residents of the rural center. Some sources review the History of the region From the Middle Ages to the modern period, including changes in government and the development of infrastructure such as railways and industry. Finally, the sources document the The fate of the Jews in the Holocaust, from the German occupation in July 1941 to the murder of those who did not escape by the Nazis and their local collaborators.

History of the Jewish Community in the Settlement Kokenza (Koknese), known in German sources asKokenhusen, reflecting a small community located in the district Riga (Riga District), in the area Vidzeme (Vidzeme), historically known asLappland (Lipland), in the northwest Latvia (C104-1f, C104-4f). The settlement itself has a rich historical past, as it was mentioned as early as 1206 as a "Russian castle", and later passed through the hands of bishops, Polish kings, Swedes and Russian forces, until it was finally destroyed in 1701 and was never restored in its old urban form (C104-2f).

Demographics and population changes

According to archival data, the Jewish presence in the area began to develop at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1925, the agricultural area of Kokenza Only 7 Jews, and their number increased to 26 in 1930 (C104-1f, C104-4f). In the 1935 census, 16 Jewish residents were recorded in the settlement itself (C104-2f). There is a contradiction in the sources regarding their proportion in the population: while the official statistical publication of the Latvian government from 1936 indicates that the 16 Jews constituted 2.47% Of the total of 647 residents, other summary documents state the figure of 25% of all residents (C104-1f, C104-2f, C104-3f). In the printed text of one of the documents a note was added inhandwriting Which indicates the name "Keukkenhuizen" in Latin letters as well as the name in Hebrew (C104-3f).

Economy, Commerce and Property Owners

The Jewish community, despite being small, was involved in the commercial and service life of the settlement. From the lists of property and business owners inKokenza In and around it in 1935, a number of Jewish personalities and business owners can be identified:

• Itziks Grimanis (Iciks Grīmanis): Registered as the owner of villa/summer home number 356F (C104-2f).
• Simanis Kovinats (Simonis Kovnats): He ran a colonial goods store (grocery store) on the property known as "Viesturi", and his phone number was 56 (C104-2f).
• Lasers Ships (Leizers Schifs): He ran a colonial goods store on the property known as "Apsītes", and his phone number was 50 (C104-2f).
• Jespers Wolfsons (Jāzeps Vulfsons): was the owner of Pharmacy/Cosmetics Store (Drogu veikals) which was located on the property known as "Sprīdīši", and the business phone number was 51 (C104-2f).

Also, a person named is mentioned Jacob Weiner (Jacob Weiners) as the owner of a property where several stores were located, including a watch store and a fabric store, as well as a grocery store that he owned, but the source does not explicitly state his ethnic origin (C104-2f).

Holocaust period

The fate of the community was sealed following the political and military events that befell the region. After the signing of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact In August 1939, the Red Army established bases in Latvia and in the summer of 1940 Soviet rule was imposed there (C104-1f, C104-4f). On July 1, 1941, shortly after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the settlement was occupied by German forces (C104-4f). According to printed sources, the remaining Jews in the settlement were murdered shortly thereafter by the Germans andTheir Latvian assistants (C104-1f, C104-23f). A certain document states that the murder was carried out with the assistance of "Atmans"(Originally) locals, and adds that there were Jews who managed to escape deep into the Soviet Union (C104-3f).

The sources also mention the following villages and settlements:

• Katrīnbāde: Mentioned as a village located on the shore of the Gulf of Riga, near the Pēterupīte and Inču upīte rivers.
• For Durga: It appears as a village in Riga District (Rīgas apriņķis). Sources indicate that in 1935 it had 214 inhabitants.
• Jumurda and Ergli: Mentioned in the context of transport lines, as there was a bus service that connected Koknese to Yomorada via Argeli.

The sources also mention several cities located near the village of Ladurga, including Limbaži, Cēsis andSiguldaIn addition, the train station is mentioned. Inte As the closest station to Ladurga.

Terms and explanations

Below are explanations for terms that appear in sources that are not common in modern Hebrew or are local terms:

• Vidzeme: One of the four historical provinces of Latvia.
• Lipland: The historical name of the Vidzeme region, as it was customary in previous periods.
• Apriņķis: Latvian term for an administrative district.
• Pagasts: A smaller administrative unit in Latvia, equivalent to a district or rural local council.
• Drugstore (Drogu veikals): A store selling cosmetics, cleaning products, and over-the-counter medications (as opposed to a medical pharmacy).
• Colonial Products (Kolonialpreču): Imported grocery products such as coffee, sugar, and spices.

List of sources

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• C104-1f – A document in Hebrew detailing demographic data on the Jews of Koknese between the years 1925–1935 and a description of the events of the Holocaust under the German and Soviet occupation.
• C104-2f – An official statistical publication from Latvia from 1936 that includes a historical overview, demographic data, and detailed lists of property owners and businesses in the settlements of Koknese and Durga.
• C104-3f – A summary in Hebrew that includes handwritten notes on Kokenza, Jewish population data from 1935, and information about the murder of the community by the Germans and local collaborators.
• C104-4f – An information page from the Beit Hatfutsot Museum in English and Hebrew that reviews the development of the Jewish community in Koknese and describes its experiences during the Soviet and Nazi regimes.

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