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Database: "Holocaust Memorial Places in Latvia"

31.10.2016

The Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia, an IHRA grant recipient, is pleased to announce the launch of the database “Holocaust Memorial Places in Latvia”.

The database was elaborated within the framework of a project of the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia, carried out under the patronage and with the partial financial support of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in close collaboration with the Council of Jewish Communities of Latvia and the museum “Jews in Latvia”.

The Center for Judaic Studies functions as a separate unit affiliated to the University of Latvia. The main activities of the Center are preserving the legacy of Latvian Jews, as well as promoting and maintaining the positive development of Latvian-Jewish relations through accurate research and various educational projects. The activities are carried out based on interdisciplinary principles, in collaboration with a large number of teachers, educators and experts from Latvia, the neighboring countries (Lithuania, Russian Federation etc.) and Israel. The Centre is also a key tertiary institution for education and research related to the Holocaust.

The database makes information about Holocaust memorial sites in Latvia available to a wider public for the first time. It contains a map that shows the places related to the Holocaust, as well as structured information about each site (a brief history, location, and other characteristics). Users have the possibility to launch a search for a specific place by entering the name of the place or by clicking directly on the map. The project was initiated to improve knowledge and awareness of the Holocaust in society.

As the Holocaust memorial sites’ significance is not always self-evident, the database gives further information and explanations by directing the viewer to the actual sites and contextualizing them. By demonstrating regional and national contexts of remembrance and providing appropriate tools for Holocaust commemoration, the project hope to raise awareness and provide an impulse to actively engagement in commemoration.

If you would like to contact the project team, please email us at jsc[at] latnet [dott] lv