Latvia SIG Lunch - The rise, demise and then annihilation of Libau Jewry
17
JULY
2012
The Baltic port of Libau (Liepaja) in modern-day Latvia emerged during the late nineteenth century as one of Imperial Russia's fastest growing Jewish communities. Situated outside of the Pale of Settlement and at the end of a railway network that spread through modern-day Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia, it enabled hundreds of thousands of Eastern European Jews to emigrate to Britain, the United States, Canada and South Africa. After Latvian gained independence the separation from Russia signalled the demise of the Jewish community at the same time as her Jews enjoyed greater religious freedoms. Ultimately Soviet, and the German, occupation ended in the annihilation of the remaining Jewish community in one of the most violent episodes of the Holocaust. Based upon two decades of research this illustrated talk explores the emergence of Latvia Jewry, the emigration of Jews from Imperial Russia, and the atrocities inflicted upon Latvian Jewry in Libau and its hinterland and will appeal to those with Jewish emigrant and Latvian Jewish heritage.
| Speaker | Location |
|---|---|
|
Nicholas EVANS |
Louis Armstrong A & B |