Recommendations
For many who are just beginning to explore the topic of the Holocaust in Latvia, it’s important to know where to start. In this section, we have gathered books, archives, and museums that can help you gain a deeper understanding. You’ll find both fiction and academic research, as well as links to archival materials and research and educational projects.
We hope these recommendations will be helpful and guide you in your search for answers.
Why this is important?
The study of the Holocaust in Latvia faces a unique challenge — a lack of documentary evidence. Unlike other countries, where hundreds or even thousands of photographs, volumes of ghetto archival documents, and hundreds of artifacts have been preserved, Latvia has very few such materials. Because of the rapid course of events of the Holocaust in Latvia, only several dozen photographs and a few chronicles have survived.
The core of our knowledge about these events comes from the testimonies of survivors, both oral and written accounts. Additionally, important sources include correspondence from the German command, published orders, and announcements in newspapers from that time. These documents help reconstruct the events and preserve the memory of those whose lives were destroyed.
This section has been created to help those who wish to explore the topic more deeply by relying on available sources.
Where to start?
We recommend beginning your exploration of the Holocaust in Latvia with published memoirs of survivors. These personal testimonies will help you understand how people experienced these tragic events and what they meant for those who witnessed or became victims of them.
Downloadable list of published testimonies
After that, for a more detailed and comprehensive understanding, it’s advisable to turn to academic studies. These will provide you with a fuller picture of the events, analyzing them within the context of historical processes, political decisions, and their consequences.
Downloadable list of academic literature
Databases
Names.lu.lv
The database comprises names of 90 244 Jews who lived in Latvia on the eve of the Holocaust
USHMM
The Museum’s Collections has nearly 275,000 records (artifacts, documents, photos, personal stories etc)
Fortunoff Archive
The Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies is pioneerin g archive collected 4400 videotapes
Yad Vashem
The database of nearly 4,8 mln Shoah victims' names containing documents and photos too.
EHRI
The EHRI portal informs on Holocaust-related archival material held in 2,316 institutions across the world
USC Foundation
The collections archive is home to more than 59,000 testimonies of survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust
Arolsen Archive
The archive contains about 30 million documents from concentration camps, and files on displaced persons
Wiener Library
The world’s oldest collection of original archival material on pre-war Jewish life, the Nazi era and the Holocaust
Leo Baeck Institute
An archive and research library devoted to the history and culture of German-speaking Jews
Our Resources
1 / Our Publications
For over 20 years, Shamir has published books on Jewish culture and history in Latvia, including the history of the Holocaust. [Browse our bookstore →]
2 / Museum Collection
Researchers can access our collection, document archive, and thematic library with a reading room. Visits are available by appointment. [Book a visit →]
3 / Conferences Materials
Recordings from our regular conferences featuring researchers, curators, educators, and museum professionals are available on our YouTube channel.
4 / Latvian Virtual Jewish Encyclopaedia
LVEE.LV is a growing resource which aims to restore the features and faces of lost Latvian Jewry. We invite editors and co-authors to participate in creating this resource.
Educational resources
Free of charge educational courses, prepared by leading research institutions. Courses are aimed on different target groups
EHRI
An overview on recent trends in Holocaust historiography
Coursera
Tel-Aviv University free course "The Holocaust - An Introduction"
Coursera
EHRI Online free video course "The Holocaust through the Perspective of Primary Sources"
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Future Learn
Yad Vashem online free course for educators "Teaching the Holocaust: Innovative Approaches to the Challenges We Face"
Coursera
Yad Vashem Online Free Video Course "Chosen Issues in Holocaust History"
Coursera
Online free Course "Destruction of European Jewry" prepared by University of California
