People of Latvia Sheltered Jews Memorial - Riga, Latvia
N 56° 56.979 E 024° 07.377
35V E 325019 N 6315464
The memorial consists of a brass plaque in the shape of a pentagon embedded in the sidewalk in front of the Bergs building at Marijas iela 11 in Riga, Latvia.
Waymark Code: WMPNY1
Location: Latvia
Date Posted: 09/28/2015
Views: 5
The inscription on the brass plaque is in both Latvian and English and reads:
1941-1944
Šeit Latvijas Iedzivotaji
Nacistu Okupacijas Laika
Slepa Navei Nolemtos Ebrejus
Here, People of Latvia Sheltered Jews
From Certain Deaths During Nazi Occupation
This was one of 10 plaques placed by the Underground Riga project in 2014. The following information about this project is from the Žana Lipkes Memorials:
"Last week memorial signs were put by the entrances of 10 buildings in Riga. On the sunny afternoon of September 18 this event of European Capital of Culture gathered people by the house in Brivibas blvd. 32. During the Second World War an electrician Janis Ozols together with his wife Lilija hid the Jews who were persecuted by the nazi regime in this house. To mark this heroic deed as well as the bravery of many other citizens of Riga a memorial sign was revealed here after the initiative of Žanis Lipke Memorial. It is the first of 10 signs which have been put in different locations in Riga and will tell the less known parts of the history to the citizens and guests of Riga. From 1941 to 1944 the brave people of Riga risked their own lives to give shelter to the persecuted Jews and save them from certain death. The initiative has been supported by the foundation “Riga 2014”. The designer of the signs is artist Laima Laizane. The chairman of the foundation “Žanis Lipke Memorial” Maris Gails, honorary doctorate of the Latvian Science Academy and a holocaust surviver, historian Margers Vestermanis, historian and the leading researcher of the National Library of Latvia Gustavs Strenga, the director of Žanis Lipke Memorial Lolita Tomsone, as well as others took part in the revealing ceremony.
The signs are located in other places in Riga as well – Terbatas street 56, where Elvira Rone hid Mark Kremer, the father of the world famous violinist Gidon Kremer; Meža avenue 86, where the dean of the Christ King church Vilnis Kazimirs gave shelter to Davids Packins, a jewish man who had escaped the getto, and other places as well.
With the project “Underground Riga” Žanis Lipke Memorial is taking part of the “Riga 2014” programme. One of the aims of this project is to create the understanding of the city as not only a place where people live, work and rest, but also can find shelter when their lives and freedom are in danger. This will be done by an exhibition in Žanis Lipke Memorial, by an interactive map and by tours around the city. The signs in the city will work as an extension of the project, that will let the citizens of Riga to get to know their city from a different point of view, and will tell about the 20th century history of Riga in an visually direct way to the visitors of the city."