(3) Liepaja file / תיק קהילה

📜 Vjatlag/Viatlag Survivors from Hilban: List of Names and Occupations

The sources presented document the The rich and tragic history of the Jewish community in Liepaja (Libau) in Latvia, from its early days until its destruction in the Holocaust. The documents include Handwritten personal memories detailing the city's cultural life, institutions, and prominent figures, alongside Semitic lists of survivors and casualties and details about the management of the ghetto under the Nazi occupation. In addition, there are Leaflets of the Latvian Immigrant Organization in the United States, which demonstrate commemorative activities, fundraising, and the preservation of the legacy for future generations. Some of the materials deal with In archival research of passport books, which allows families to locate information and photos of their lost loved ones. Together, these sources constitute A mosaic of community memory, which combines personal testimony with historical and formal documentation.

The History of the Latvian Jewish Community: From the Duchy of Courland to the Viatlag Camps and the Holocaust

Early settlement and development of the community in the Duchy of Courland

The Jewish presence in the region Courland Documented in sources starting in the 14th century. A letter from 1350 states that a Jew named Moses Accused of poisoning wells inThe snippet (Hasenpoth) andPilten (Piltene) during the Black Death (C127-19f). In the 16th century, under the rule of Duke Jacob, Jews held customs rights within the borders of the duchies, and in the 18th century, despite official expulsion orders, Jews were protected by local nobles who housed them on their estates (C127-19f). A list from 1740 lists Jewish professionals of various professions, including millers, carpenters, and even soldiers in the ducal guard (C127-19f). In 1799 their legal status was regulated inCourland By order of the emperor Pavel I, and by the end of that century the community numbered 4,281 people (C127-19f, C127-20f).

Libau (Lipaia) Community – Cultural and Economic Center

The city Libau (Liepaja), which developed from a small fishing village in the 13th century into a strategic port center, became one of the most significant communities in Latvia (C127-15f, C127-12f). The Jewish population in the city grew significantly, reaching its peak in 1897 with 9,454 Jewish residents (C127-10f). The community enjoyed a rich religious and cultural life, centered on The Great Synagogue (Große Synagoge) built in 1875 (C127-15f). Key figures in the leadership of the community included Rabbi Aharon Nurok (Aaron Nurock), who served in the Latvian Parliament, as well as N. Katzenelson (N. Katzenelson) (C127-10f, C127-15f). Between the world wars, many Zionist and political movements were active in the city, among which the Zionist movement stood out. Beitar (Betar), which operated agricultural training farms like the group "Municipality" (C127-11f).

Soviet deportation and the Viatlag camps

• Deportation date: The mass deportation to Wyattlag took place inJune 14, 1941, just two weeks before the German army invaded Latvia.
• Nature of the deported population: The deportation harmed the "intelligence" and cultural figures of the Jewish community, with sources stating that the vast majority of the men who were deported were completely eliminated..
• List of those killed in Viatlag: The archive contains a detailed Semitic list of Jews from Lebanon who died in this camp.Among the notable names:
  • Abe-David Lippmann, father of Ada Kramer, who documented the fate of her family.
  • Cal Isaak, Kiel Herb, Glaser Ber, Hercenberg Georg, Perlman Joseph andSelkin Hilel.
• Death during transport: The sources indicate that some of the deportees, such as Abramovic andLippert, did not reach the camp at all, but perished in the "Echilon" (the convoy) on the way there..
• Survivors and survivors: Alongside the lists of those who perished, a list of Jews from Libya who survived their stay in Viatlag is documented.Among the survivors are:
  • Alschwanger, Scheichod, Spektor, Dan Schaja, David Meier andWestermann.
• The fate of the families: While the men were often deported to labor camps like Viatlag, their family members (women and children) were often deported to other destinations such as Siberian

The Holocaust and the destruction of the community

The Nazi occupation that began on June 29, 1941, brought an end to the thriving community (C127-10f). As early as July 1941, some 3,000 Jews were murdered in a massacre indiligent (Skeden) (C127-12f). The largest Aktions were carried out in December 1941 under the supervision of A. Frisons (A. Friesons) andR. Silgenovs (R. Siljanovs) (C127-11f). In May 1942, it was established Libau Ghetto, where the few survivors of the mass murders were imprisoned (C127-10f). The ghetto was liquidated inYom Kippur 1943, and the remaining Jews were deported to the concentration camp Kaiserwald (Kaiserwald) and from there to the camps Stutthof andBuchenwald (C127-6f, C127-2f). After the war, survivors inUnited States Work to preserve the community's memory within the framework of an organization "Survivors of Latvian Jewry" (C127-1f, C127-14f).

Terms from the sources

• Vjatlag (Vjatlag) – A system of Soviet labor and concentration camps (Gulag) that operated in the Kirov District (C127-17f).
• Eschalon – A term for a train shipment used for the mass deportation of a population (C127-18f).
• Hachsharah (training) – Agricultural training farms to prepare Jewish youth for aliyah to the Land of Israel (C127-11f).
• Kazyonny Ravvin (Rabbi by appointment) – An official rabbinical position appointed by the Tsarist government in Russia (C127-10f).
• Aktion (Action) – Operation of concentration and extermination of Jews by the Nazis (C127-15f).
• Bermont – Reference to the volunteer army that operated in Latvia after World War I (C127-18f).

List of sources

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• C127-1f – Issue of the newspaper "The Latvian Jewish Courier" (December 1988) which includes lists of donors and community updates.
• C127-2f – Newsletter of the Latvian Survivors' Organization (June 1989) which includes the story of the life and wanderings of Abe Harvey.
• C127-3f – Latvian Survivors Newsletter (September 1990) including memorial messages, donor lists, and community news.
• C127-4f – Editor's page from the newspaper "The Latvian Jewish Courier" dealing with the liquidation of the Liepaja ghetto and the documentation of the Holocaust.
• C127-5f – A Hebrew story by Chaya Marlander called "Behind the Iron Curtain – Return to Livno" describing the return of survivors.
• C127-6f – An article by Arnold Engel, "Witness For The Prosecution," describing his testimony in the trial of war criminal Erich Handke.
• C127-7f – A personal description by George Schwab of the evacuation of the Stutthof camp, the sea march, and the liberation in 1945.
• C127-8f – A concise geographical and historical overview of the city of Liepaja as a port and industrial center in Latvia.
• C127-9f – Hebrew translation of a text describing the Nazi invasion of Livno, the massacre in Shkodën, and the establishment of the ghetto in the city.
• C127-10f – Documents on the Betar movement in Lviv, its leadership, activities, and the influence of the Olmanis regime on the organization.
• C127-11f – A manuscript in German describing mass murders in Livao (Shakdan), the role of the political police, and lists of victims.
• C127-12f – An entry from the Encyclopedia Judaica that reviews the history of the Jews of Libau from the 18th century to the Holocaust.
• C127-13f – An article about the discovery of fragments of an ancient Torah scroll and Jewish manuscripts during the renovation of a building in the city of Libau.
• C127-14f – Newsletter of the Riga Ghetto Survivors Association (September 1985) including activity reports, obituaries and queries.
• C127-15f – The handwritten memoirs of Ada Kramer (née Lipman) about the Jewish community, synagogues, and cultural life in Livau.
• C127-16f – A personal diary by Ada Kramer documenting her family's deportation to Siberia and the Viatlag camp in June 1941.
• C127-17f – A detailed handwritten Semitic list of Jews from Livonia who died in the Viatlag camp in 1941.
• C127-18f – List of survivors from Libya who survived the Viatlag camp and notes on those who perished during the transport in Echelon.
• C127-19f – Summary of a doctoral thesis on the history of the Jews in the Duchy of Courland and the development of the Enlightenment movement in the region.
• C127-20f – A chronological overview of the history of Courland Jews in the 18th century, residential regulations and statistical data.
• C127-21f – An article by Irina Weinberga on using the Libau passport books as a source for genealogical and historical research.
• C127-22–10f – A diagram map of a cemetery showing the division of plots according to communities, organizations, and families.
• C127-23f – Summary of research on the basic regulations and burial organizations of the Courland Association in the city of Philadelphia.

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