Madona file / תיק קהילה

These sources document the history of the town. Madonna in Latvia, focusing on demographic changes and the fate of the local Jewish community. The documents include Statistical data Official documents from the 1930s, a detail of the city's economic and social structure, and maps showing its urban development. A significant portion of the material is devoted to the period The Holocaust, and describes the occupation of the town by the Germans, the rounding up of the Jews, and their murder in August 1941 by local forces under Nazi supervision. The sources summarize the liberation of the area by The Red Army In 1944, the absence of memorials for the victims in the firing pits is noted. This is a documentary collection that combines Administrative information Dry and a tragic historical testimony to the destruction of a small community.

This historical overview focuses on the history of the Jewish community in the city Madonna (Madonna, in German: Madohn) in the region Vidzeme (Vidzeme, also known as Lippland), Latvia, as reflected in the attached archival documents.

The administrative and demographic structure of the city of Madonna

The city Madonna Began to develop around 1899, received self-government rights on July 1, 1921, and was officially declared a city in 1926 (C73-2f). During the period of independence of Latvia (1920-1940), Madonna served as an administrative and economic center in the Vidzeme region (C73-1f). Statistical data indicate a consistent growth in the city's Jewish population: in 1920, 19 Jews Only in 1925 their number increased to 36, in 1930 to 97, and in 1935 the Jewish population reached a peak of 115 people, who constituted about 4.88% (or about 5% according to some sources) of the city's total population (C73-2f, C73-3f, C73-4f). The majority of the city's population (over 90%) was Latvian, alongside small minorities of Russians, Germans, and Poles (C73-2f).

Community life, religion, and the economy in the shadow of independence

There is a certain contradiction in the sources regarding the establishment of the community: while several documents state that there were no community institutions or organized Jewish life in the settlement, nor even a synagogue (C73-1f, C73-4f), an official statistical publication from 1936 lists under the section "Religious Life" the following: Moses' Religion Community (Moses believes.) which was located on the street Darza (Garden Street(C73-2f). As the religious leader of the community, he is mentioned Tuvia Borochovic (Tuvja Borochoviks), born in Daugavpils (C73-2f). In terms of Zionism, there was some activity in 1930, when 23 of the city's Jews Participate in a fundraiser for Israel National Fund (C73-1f, C73-3f). Economically, the city's Jews were integrated into local commerce and industry, which included flour mills, hotels such as the "Bijou" (Biržu(and "places")Palejas), and various workshops (C73-2f).

Key figures and professionals in the city

The documents detail a long list of office holders and liberal professions in the city in the 1930s, attesting to its developed character. The mayor was Martins Steinbergs (Martins Steinbergs), and the city secretary was Alfreds Polanders (Alfred Polfanders(C73-2f). In the field of medicine, doctors such as Conrads Ardebs (Konrāds Ardavs) and dentists like Mariana Polanders (Marianna PolfandersAmong the lawyers were: Alexandros Lazdins (Aleksandrs Lazdins) andPatrice Davis (Peter Davis). The lists that appear in printed sources also indicate Yaakov Barush (Jacob Barus) as a government certified surveyor (C73-2f). Handwritten notes on the documents, the meaning of which is not always entirely clear, include the number "340" and various archival markings (C73-2f, C73-3f).

The Holocaust Period: From Occupation to Annihilation

The fate of the community changed dramatically with the outbreak of World War II. Following Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, Latvia was annexed to the Soviet Union in the summer of 1940, but in early July 1941, a few days after the start of Operation Barbarossa, Madona was occupied by the German army (C73-1f, C73-4f). The city's Jews were soon concentrated in a separate area (a kind of ghetto) (C73-3f). On August 7 and 8, 1941, the Jews were taken to the forest Samara (Smerkere), which is about 3 km from the city, and where they were murdered (C73-1f). According to the sources, the murder was carried out by members of the Latvian Auxiliary Police The local, which was under German control (C73-3f, C73-4f). Some of the Jews were shot on their way to the forest. After the massacre, a sign was placed at the entrance to the city with the inscription "Jewish-only"(clean of Jews) or "Free from Jews" (Free from Jews) (C73-1f, C73-3f, C73-4f).

Liberation of the place and memory after the war

On August 17, 1944, Madonna was liberated by The Red Army (C73-1f). Among the liberating soldiers were Jewish soldiers who, according to the sources, carried out punitive operations against local Latvian collaborators (C73-3f, C73-4f). After the war, Jewish survivors tried to locate the mass grave in the Samara Forest, but were unsuccessful (C73-1f). As a result, no memorial was erected at the site to commemorate the murdered near the time of the events (C73-4f).

Terms and explanations

Below are explanations for terms that appear in sources that are uncommon in modern Hebrew:

• Vidzeme / Lifland: One of the four historical regions of Latvia.
• Moses believes. The community of the people of Moses (Jewish community).
• Jewish-free/Jewish-free: Nazi German terms meaning an area cleansed of Jews.
• State statistical administration: Latvian Government Statistical Office.
• Latvian Auxiliary Police: Local police forces that collaborated with the Nazis during the occupation.

List of sources

To view the document, click on its number.