Screenshot of online database.

The online database "Jews of Latvia: Names and Fates, 1941-1945" (http://names.lu.lv) is an important source for the Latvian Jewish history research. It was first launched in 2008 and now comprises more than 90 000 names of Jews who lived in Latvia on the eve of the Holocaust; the fate for approximately two thirds of them is recovered so far. Website’s content is available in three languages (English, Russian and Latvian).

Since the previous website was technically and visually outdated, in January 2022 a newly redesigned website was launched on the same URL at htttp://names.lu.lv. It offers improved functionality and search options, a modern design, and a number of new features.

In addition, new primary source materials – photos of the members of Latvian Jewish community and personal details from their pre-war passports –, were added. It is a result of a comprehensive survey of the pre-war passports collections, held within the Latvian State Historical Archives.  We believe that the enriched database will ensure that personal identities of the once vibrant Latvian Jewish community, wiped out during the Holocaust, is documented and memory of perished victims is preserved.

The project of the database redesign with the access to these new sources was led by the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia with the financial support of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), Association of Latvian and Estonian Jews in Israel, and the Uniting History Foundation.

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