What happened in Latvia during ww2?

During the years of Nazi occupation, special campaigns killed 90,000 people in Latvia, approximately 70,000 of whom were Jews and 2,000 Gypsies. Jewish and Gypsy civilians were eliminated as a result of the Nazi “theory of races” as set out in the Nazi Generalplan Ost plan.

What is Riga Latvia known for?

Riga is famed for its beautiful Art Nouveau architecture. In fact, as many as a third of all the buildings in the city’s center sport this architectural style, meaning Latvia’s capital reportedly boasts one of the world’s highest concentration’s of Art Nouveau structures.

Did Latvia fight in ww2?

Latvian soldiers fought on both sides of the conflict against their will, including in the Latvian Legion of the Waffen-SS, most of them conscripted by the occupying authorities.

Do they speak English in Riga?

In the centre of Riga, most younger people are able to speak at least a little English. There are plenty stalls – especially at Riga Central Market – so you have choices. Also worth noting – Latvian isn’t the only language spoken in Latvia. A percentage of people also speak Russian.

How many Latvians were deported to Siberia?

In a short period of time, around 100,000 Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians were sent to Siberia in cattle trucks to scratch a living from the permafrost in labor camps. Some died on the way, some died as the years passed – and a few made it home.

Where did Stalin deport peasants?

Resistant Farmers Labeled as ‘Kulaks’ Soviet officials drove these peasants off their farms by force and Stalin’s secret police further made plans to deport 50,000 Ukrainian farm families to Siberia, historian Anne Applebaum writes in her 2017 book, Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine.

What was it like to live in Latvia during the war?

Most of the war it was under Nazi control. Most Latvians viewed Germans as liberators after the Soviets. Also German culture had existed in Latvia for such a long time, it was generally accepted and understood. Most inhabitants of Riga knew German. There were no mass uprisings, but there were partisan forces fighting the occupation.

What happened in Riga during WW2?

Thereafter, Riga became the capital of the Reich Commissariat Ostland, a German civilian administration. German Einsatzgruppen together with Latvian auxiliaries, shot several thousand Jews shortly after German forces entered the city.

What was life like for Jews in Riga?

Jews were integrated into most aspects of life in Riga and even sat on the city council. In August 1940, the Soviet Union annexed Latvia, and Riga became the capital of the Latvian SSR. German forces occupied Riga in early July 1941 after the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Why is Riga so important to the Germans?

Among Riga’s Germans was Paul Schiemann, a leader of the European minorities movement and framer of Latvia’s laws on cultural autonomy for minorities. A large community of Russian refugees made Riga a critical listening post for Western intelligence regarding the Soviet Union.