Some graphics are from other sites without
permission but with a link to the site

  Corner of Latvian Archives 

One of the three countries on, or near, the Baltic Sea.  Courland (Courland) is a part of today's Latvia.  Jews came relatively late to what is now Latvia; in the early fourteenth century they had been banned from settling in the area by an official decree of the ruling Master of the German Order.  Until 1725, Jews were not allowed to bury their dead in Latvia, and had to bury them in Poland.  Because of this restriction, Riga had just a few hundred Jewish residents.    Most of the Jews lived in an area called "Maskavas", less that a mile southeast of Old Town.  Little remains after WW II of the area.  By 1897, there were more than 20,000 Jews or 8% of Riga's population. 
http://www.rumbula.org/history_of_latvian_jewry.shtml

There were, at one time, 14 synagogues in the city.  In 1940, the Russians arrested about 5,000 prominent Jews and deported them to Siberia along with thousands of other Jews.  Others were rounded up, including 77,000 from around Latvia and 30,000 to 40,000 more who were transported from other countries and were then murdered - some in the Rumbula and Bikernicku forests, located just a few miles from Riga's center.  Only 150 Jews survived. Jews also died at the Kaiserwald prison camp in Mezaparks - a suburb and at the Salaspils concentration camp located about 12 miles southeast of Riga. 

The chief Rabbi of Riga and Latvia is Nathan Barkan and there is a substantial Jewish community including several Jewish schools in Riga, and a Jewish hospital.

"The Jews of Courland"
Authored by Martha Lev-Zion - offers the history and the research, and is in English.  Available on the GenAmi web site
http://asso.genami.free.fr

Ninety-five percent of Latvia's 70,000 Jews were murdered, many by the thousands of Latvian Nazi collaborators; so too were 14,000 of the 20,000 German, Austrian and Czech Jews deported to Latvia during the first years of WW II.

There is a Courland Research Group associated with the Latvia SIG and JewishGen.  
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia 

All Latvian Database
http://www.jewishgen.org/Courland/data_by_sources.htm#shefayim 

http://www.avotaynu.com/nu/V08N19.htm

Jews In Latvia in the Early Years
http://vip.latnet.lv/lpra/fg_early.htm

http://www.geschichteinchronologie.ch/eu/Lettland/EncJud_juden-in-Lettland-ENGL.html  

Jews of Latvia
http://www.jewishgen.org/Courland/consular/cons_jews.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Latvia

http://www.rumbula.org/history_of_latvian_jewry.shtml

http://www.edwardvictor.com/Latvia.htm

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Latvia.html

http://www.li.lv/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=99&Itemid=1116 

Latvia Genealogy Links
http://www.genealogylinks.net/europe/latvia/

http://www.roots-saknes.lv/mainroots.htm

http://feefhs.org/links/latvia.html

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~genealogylinks/fgn/frgn_J- L.html#LATVIA 

Virtual Tour of Latvia
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Latvia.html

Welcome to Latvia - web site is in Latvian
http://www.latnet.lv/

  Books    
            

"A Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Latvia and Estonia"
Authored by Arlene Beare and  - published in March, 2001by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Great Britain
ISBN: 0-9537669-2-6. 

This is an excellent guide for researching in Latvia and Estonia.  Arlene is the President of the Latvia SIG  This guide points you in the right direction for researching your roots in both of these countries.  Modern and old names of Shtetlach are listed.  There are also references to cemeteries, museums and libraries.  Resources, addresses of archives, details and copies of documents.  Holocaust information, internet advice and travel information will all assist in your research. The guide is price at £4.50 (UK) - £6.00/US $10 (Overseas includes postage)  Payment with orders and is available from The JGSGB Membership Secretary, PO Box 27061, London, N2 OGT

"Accessible Vital Records For Jews, Germans, Ukrainians and Poles in Galicia, Volhynia, Lithuania and Latvia- A Second Zabuzanski Collection"
Available at the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library.  Other Libraries may also have a copy. Brian Lenius is Chairperson and Editor of East European Genealogist  
www.eegsociety.org  

"The Latvians: A Short History"
Authored by Andrejs Plakans and published by Hoover Institution Press - gives a good overview of Latvian history from medieval times to the mid-1990s.

"Where Once They Walked"
Authored by Barbara Siegel. She shares her experiences in traveling to Latvia.  There are four parts to her story and they can be found in the Archives of the JewishGen web site starting on Sunday, Oct. 11, 1998
http://www.jewishgen.org/  

General  
Latvian Genealogy

http://www.rumbula.org/history_of_latvian_jewry.shtml

Latvia has been slow to preserve and mark sites related to the Holocaust.

I would suggest to the researcher of the following sites, to also check the other two Baltic Country sites, including Estonia and Lithuania, as well as Poland and Belarus and Russia as there may very well be some cross references as the country borders changed many times between wars.

Listings of the Jewish files held at the Latvian State Historical Archives
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia   

Chaim Freedman has created a very creative Blog which includes photos and his personal family history along with information about the fate of Jews in Latvia and especially of Riga Jews. Type in the name of the country you wish to research in the search field.  This site is a great source to find information for almost every European country. 
http://chfreedman.blogspot.com:80/

An excellent site to find information about most European countries. 
http://searcheurope.com

http://www.kindredtrails.com/latvia.html

Global Gazetteer
A great web site. It is a directory of  2,880,532 of the world's cities and towns, sorted by country and linked to a map for each town.  A tab separated list is available for each country
www.calle.com/world/ 

In Your Pocket Guide
A wonderful, detailed commercial travel site that offers much information about the history and current traveling conditions in the country, along with city map information
http://www.inyourpocket.com

http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org/latvia/index.html

All of the Pinkasim translations are indexed at
http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Pinkas_latvia/pinkas_latvia.html

All Latvia Database

This is a multiple database search facility which incorporates all of the databases listed below.  
http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Latvia/

http://www.cjh.org/pdfs/Latvia07.pdf

Archives

State Archives - in Riga
http://www.arhivi.lv/engl/en-lvas-frame.htm 

Files housed in the Archives of the association of Latvian and Estonian Jews at Kibbutz Shefayim in Israel
Compiled by Martha Levinson Lev-Zion
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/riga/ShefayimT1.htm

"For years of coverage beyond what is covered by the Latvia State Historical Archives, you can try the Archives of the Registry."  "Holdings are mostly 20th Century, and vary according to locale." 
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia/Contacting_Latvian_StateHA.html  

"Under the heading "Vital Records from 1906".  "Despite the statement that "To date, we do not have any experience with Archives of Registry Offices...", I have successfully obtained many vital records there, on three separate occasions."  "You will receive a certified abstract in Latvian, and will need to get it translated (although it is possible to figure out a rough translation yourself)."  From a posting on JewishGen by Marion Werle werle@linkline.com

List of the Archival Holdings in the Latvian State Historical Archives
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/riga/riga_archive_holdingslatest.htm 

Among the holdings, it has been reported, is "Inhabitants List of Jewish Families not from Courland, 1889".

Bikernicku  

This is a woods near Riga where the Jews who were shot and buried here in mass graves in 1941-2.  There is a memorial to these victims. These mass graves includes others such as Jews from Riga and Russian Prisoners of War.  Not all mass grave locations are known and there is no list of names of the victims in each mass grave.  There are lists of those who were sent from these German cities to Riga and a copy of these lists are encased in the monument. Web site is in German
http://www.volksbund.de/presse/fotos/content_detail.asp?kat=9

http://www.rumbula.org/bikernieki_forest_latvia.shtml

http://www.rumbula.org/bikernieki_forest_latvia.shtml

Byelorussians

There are approximately 120,000 Byelorussians in Latvia as of1993, but about 97,000 as of the year 2000.  Source BelaPAN, a Byelorussian newspaper published in Latvia, Issue no. 17; Thursday, March 5, 1998.  More information
http://www.belarus-misc.org/bel-diasp.htm

http://www.mfa.gov.lv/data/file/en/p/minorities.pdf

The Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia

Your help is needed. The Latvia Holocaust Jewish Names Project was formally launched in July 2001 as a Research Project of the Center for Judaic Studies, University of Latvia, in order to create a computerized record of the Jews of Latvia who perished in the Holocaust or in Holocaust related events and in so doing to ensure that their memory is preserved.

As the official documents used to establish the fate of Latvia inhabitants during WWII are not always sufficient we are asking you to share with us the information about the fate of your family members, relatives, neighbors and friends in Latvia during 1941-1945. Your assistance will be of inestimable value and will provide a lasting documentation of Jews from Latvia who perished in the Holocaust.

Please contact us at the address names@latnet.lv.
and send the information as follows:

Family name
Maiden name
Given name
Father
Date of birth
Place of birth
Address
Fate in 1941-1945
Submitted by

Thank you Centre of Judaic Studies,
University of Latvia
19 Raina Boulevard
Riga, Latvia LV-1586. 
Posted by Arlene Beare  arl@dircon.co.uk
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/riga/LV_univ.htm

Consolidated Jewish Surname Index

Includes the Jewish Records Indexing - Poland; All-Lithuania Database; All-Belarus Database; All-Latvia Database and JewishGen Family Finder
http://www.avotaynu.com/csi/csi-home.html

Courland & Latvia SIG Newsgroups

http://www.jewishgen.org/listserv/sigs.htm

Courland Research Group

http://www.jewishgen.org/Courland/ 

http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/data_by_sources.htm

http://www.feefhs.org/links/Latvia/kurland/mflrev-1.html

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/7thconf/91_l49.pdf

http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/lipschitz.htm

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=831&letter=C

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jfuller/gen_mail_jewish.html

http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/kurenets/k_pages/survivors1941-45.html

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/holocaust_and_genocide_studies/v017/17.1anders.html

http://openlibrary.org/b/OL3959956M/Jews_in_Liepāja_Latvia_1941-45

http://www.iajgs.org/cemetery/latvia/liepaja.html

Latvian (Kurland / Courland) Revision Lists
http://www.feefhs.org/links/Latvia/kurland/mflrev-1.html

Dvinsk Rail Line

The rail line ran between Dvinsk and Riga, both of which were in Latvia.  Rakishok was the second stop, in Lithuania, after Abel.  After Rakishok, the train stopped in Panemunke (Panemunilis), a farming community, to pick up flax but not passengers; then Kupishok and Ponevezh.  After Ponevezh, the rail line swung north to Siauliai, Telsiai and ended in Riga.
http://www.theeasternfront.co.uk/thepartisanwar.htm

http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/cgi-bin/res.pl?keyword=Galician&offset=0

http://www.seligman.org.il/kraslava_holocaust.html

Europages

Business 2 business company directory and business in Europe, yellow pages access, international and European business directory (professional services, addresses and business classifieds
http://www.eubusiness.com/europages

JewishGen ShtetlSeeker

Locate your town (shtetl)  
http://www.jewishgen.org/shtetlseeker/loctown.htm

Jews in Latvia

Jews.htm

http://www.rumbula.org/history_of_latvian_jewry.shtml

http://vip.latnet.lv/lpra/fg_early.htm

http://www.roots-saknes.lv/Ethnicities/Jews.htm

http://www.jewsoflatvia.com/

Jewish Minorities in the Baltic Countries

http://www.jstor.org/pss/4464423

http://web.mit.edu/people/fjk/essays/baltics.html

http://www.lituanus.org/1992_1/92_1_05.htm

Languages

Around 1880, Lettish and Russian would probably have been the most commonly spoken languages in Latvia.  Jews, of course, also spoke Yiddish, and it was the eastern variety - as distinct from the Yiddish of Alsace.  In Courland, the area west of Riga, Jews commonly spoke German, as distinct from Yiddish.  From a posting by Charles Pottins charlespottins@aol.com 
http://www.languagehelpers.com/languagefacts/latvian.html

http://www.languagehelpers.com/

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/latvian.htm

http://www.li.lv/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=124

Latvia: Jewish Family Lists From Dvinsk, c. 1876-1917

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1481

Latvia Holocaust

Crimes against Humanity - this site appears to have a lot of links to many subjects dealing with the
WW II time period
http://vip.latnet.lv/LPRA/angliski.htm

http://www.rumbula.org/holocaust_latvia_overview.shtml

http://www.holocaustrevealed.org/_domain/holocaustrevealed.org/Latvia/Latvian
_Holocaust.htm  

http://www.jewishgen.org/Shtetlinks/latvia.html

http://www.suite101.com/content/latvian-holocaust-documentary-forgotten-transports-a285141

Latvia SIG

http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia  

http://www.rumbula.org/genealogy_resources_jewish_latvia.shtml

Arlene Beare is the RigaSIG webmaster and President of Latvia SIG.
E-mail: arl@dircon.co.uk
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia/SIG_newsletter.html

New additions to the SIG's web site include: 'Shtetl Memories' and it is a memoir by Rita Bogdanova (Archivist at the Latvian State Historical Archives 

Another addition is 'Book Reviews' that includes reviews of Max Michelson's book 'City of Life, City of Death, Memories of Riga'   This memoir by a Holocaust survivor, recalls family life in pre-war Riga; describer life in the Riga Ghetto; the liquidation of the ghetto and the destruction of Riga Jewish community; and his experiences during the war years in several concentration camps in Riga and German.  An article about the book may be found at the Jerusalem Post web site - doing a search using their search box for the book name or 'Articles by Schelly Talalay Dardashti Apr. 24, 2003 or City Lights column. Schelly Dardashti E-mail address: schelly@allrelative.net 
http://www.jpost.com/ 

http://rezekne.latviasig.org/green_synagogue.htm

Latvian Embassy in London

Fax number is 0171 312 0042
http://latvia.embassyhomepage.com/

List of Latvian Diplomatic Missions Abroad
http://www.latvia-usa.org/latem.html

 Latvian Jewish Genealogy

http://www.feefhs.org/jsig/frg-lsig.html

http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/

http://tracingthetribe.blogspot.com/2010/09/latvia-riga-ghetto-museum-opens-sept-21.html

Latvian Records in Minsk Archives in Belarus

• Revision lists of Rezekne for 1816 and 1850 - fond 2640, inventory 1, file 18 (for 1816) and file 116 (for 1850)

• List of male inhabitants of Rezekne for 1874 - fond 2640, inventory 1, file 712

• List of male inhabitants of Dvinsk for 1874 - fond 1430, inventory 1, file 35671

• List of male persons missed by the last revision in Dagda, set up in 1874 - fond 1430, inventory 1, file 35673

• List of male inhabitants of Dagda for 1874 - fond 1430, inventory 1, file 35673

• List of male inhabitants of Kaunata, Rezekne district for 1875 - fond 2640, inventory 1, file 712

• List of male persons belonging to Rezekne but living in Dagda for 1875 - fond 2640, inventory 1, file 712

• List of Jews living in the farms of Rezekne district for 1889 - fond 1416, inventory 3, file 21591

• List of Jews living in the farms of Dvinsk district for 1889 - fond 1416, inventory 3, file 21591.  The same for 1894 - fond 1416, inventory 3, file 21597

• Voters lists of Rezekne for 1907 - fond 2508, inventory 1, file 3597
  http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/eefaq.html
   

• http://archives.gov.by/eng/index.php?id=989746
   

• http://archives.gov.by/eng/index.php?id=news&off=50

List of Towns in Latvia - with population figures

The author of the Website ROOTS=SAKNES is Bruno Martuzāns - Bruno's web site contains much genealogical information
http://www.roots-saknes.lv/mainroots.htm

List of Shtetls in Latvia

http://pediaview.com/openpedia/List_of_shtetls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shtetls

http://www.servinghistory.com/topics/List_of_shtetls::sub::Shtetls

http://www.servinghistory.com/topics/List_of_shtetls

Map of towns in the Baltic provinces  
http://www.angelfire.com/ms2/belaroots/Baltic_home.htm

Maps covering the Latvia Region
"The Comprehensive Atlas and Geography of the World" published 1882 by Blackie and Sons, Edinburgh, Scotland - The Baltics - East Russian Empire 1882 Regional Special Interest Groups - Courland SIG - Latvia SIG   
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia

Maps of Russia and the FSU Republics (Former Soviet Union)  
Be prepared to stay online for quite some time, if you want to see one of the largest collections of different types of maps. 

This site is fabulous and offers a huge variety of maps that include such titles as Bukovina Maps; Ukraine Maps and Distances; Ex-USSR map; Maps of Europe in different eras; Russian Far East Maps; Belarus Maps; Ukraine Maps; Kazakhstan Maps:  Georgia Maps; Tajikistan Maps; Crimea Maps; Uzbekistan Maps; Azerbaijan Maps; Kyrgyzstan Maps; Moldova Maps; Turkmenistan Maps; Armenia Maps; Caucuses Region Maps; Baltic States Maps including Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia; and more at
http://users.aimnet.com/~ksyrah/ekskurs/maps.html

Names of Jewish Soldiers Database

This list includes names of all Jewish servicemen from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.
http://russiananzacs.narod.ru/Jews.htm

Newspapers

Hamelitz
Searchable database
http://tiny.cc/20tnm

http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia/LatvianJewishIntelligentsia.htm

http://www.yivoinstitute.org/pdf/newspapers_periodicals.pdf

http://www.yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Latvia

http://www.axt.org.uk/antisem/archive/archive1/latvia/index.htm

Rumbula

28,000 Latvian and Lithuanian Jews were murdered by the Nazis in this forest.  There is a memorial to 'victims of the fascists' that is barely noticeable behind a used car market on the Moscow-Riga highway   
http://www.rumbula.org/

http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia 

http://www.rumbula.org/remembering_rumbula.htm

http://www.heritageabroad.gov/projects/latvia1.html

http://www.heritageabroad.gov/projects/latvia_inscrp.html

http://www.rumbulasecho.org/

Search Engines for Latvia

Scroll down to 'Search Engines'
http://slavic.ohio-state.edu/people/yoo/links/default.htm

http://slavic.osu.edu/

http://www.netmasters.co.uk/european_search_engines/latvia.shtml 

http://www.searchengineguide.com/pages/Regional/Countries/Latvia/index.html

Slavophilia

A comprehensive guide to Internet resources on Russia and Central/Eastern Europe 
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Slavophilia

ShtetlSeeker

This site gives variant spellings of towns and villages, as well as map co-ordinates
http://www.jewishgen.org/communities/loctown.asp
  
http://www.jewishgen.org/ShtetlSeeker/loctown.htm

  Telephone Directory from 1940

 
The directory is in possession of Yad Vashem
http://genealogyindexer.org/view/1940Lat/ 

Translating Services - Languages

Translation Service
A commercial site offering many language translating programs
http://www.worldlanguage.com

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/translation/latvian/translation-service.html

http://www.en-lv.com/

http://www.business.com/directory/media_and_entertainment/publishing/editorial
_and_literary_services/translation_services/languages/latvian/weblistings.asp

Just in case you didn't think of it, contact a nearby university or college's foreign language department.  They may offer to write letters and translate letters into English.  A nominal fee is usually charged.

 Travel  

Yulik Guvitch offers his services as a guide.  He has helped guide some well known celebrities touring Belarus and Lithuania.  Yulik speaks fluent Hebrew, Yiddish and English.  Though I have not met Yulik, or used his services, I have been in correspondence with him yulik@delfi.lt
http://www.jerulita.lt/Default.aspx?Element=ViewArticles&TopicID=6

http://www.inyourpocket.com/lithuania/vilnius/sightseeing/Statues-and-Memorials/Jewish-tours_13224v

http://www.fellnertravelinfo.com/latviajewishtraveler/index.shtml

http://www.momentumtours.com/Riga_travel_jewish_ct.htm

University of Latvia, Centre for Judaic Studies

Att. Ms Gita Umanovska 
19 Rainis Blvd. Riga Latvia-1586
http://www.lu.lv/eng/general/administrative/studycentres/gender-studies-centre/

University of Latvia
LATVIJAS UNIVERSITATE
Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia 
19 Rainis Blvd.,
Riga, Latvia, LV-1586.  
Rector's office tel. 371-7228928. 
International office tel. 371-724309 fax 371-780113
http://www.lu.lv/cjs/about/

Center of Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia
Professor Ruvin Ferber
Head of the Board Center for Judaic Studies 
University of Latvia 
19 Raina Blvd.
LV-1586 Riga, Latvia
Ph.: +371-7615703   Fax.: +371-7820113, 
E-mail: ferber@latnet.lv 
http://www.rumbula.org/riga.shtml

Yizkor Books

Pinkas Hakehillot, Latvia v'Estonia (Encyclopaedia of Jewish Communities in Latvia & Estonia)
http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/Pinkas_latvia/pinkas_latvia.html

http://www.slcl.org/branches/hq/sc/yiz-k-l.htm

http://www.library.yale.edu/judaica/site/collection/yizkorbooks.php

http://www.yivoinstitute.org/yizkor/index.php?stid=2&tid=46&aid=104&let=L

http://genealogy.about.com/od/jewish/tp/holocaust-databases.htm

Latvian Cities
and Towns
 

http://memorialmuseums.eu/eng/staettens/view/926/Denkmale-f%C3%BCr-die-ermordeten-Juden-aus-Libau

Alschwangen

http://www.olswanger.com/olschwanger.shtml

http://www.olswanger.com/article16.shtml

http://londonfhc.org/content/catalogue?c=5&p=World,Latvia

Bausk

Contact Constance Whippman. Regional Special Interest Groups - Courland SIG - Latvia SIG   
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia 

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=442&letter=B

http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/lipschitz.htm

Cesis (Wenden)

The German domination of some areas of Latvia is well known as it was a major outpost of the German-dominated Hanseatic League that dates back to the 1300s.  Over the years it has been a crossroads and attracted different cultures and their various languages. For current information:
http://www.inyourpocket.com/latvia/cesis/en/

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/riga/riga_archive_holdingslatest.htm 

http://www.riga-hotels.net/tours/cesis-tour.htm

http://latvianhistory.wordpress.com/the-cities-of-latvia/

Dagda

Cemetery
The  Jewish cemetery of Dagda

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GScid=2205724&GRid=18124785&CRid=2205724&

http://www.rumbula.org/dagda_jewish_history.shtml

http://usdin.dumes.net/shtetld.html

Regional Special Interest Groups - Courland SIG - Latvia SIG   
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia 

Daugavpils (Dvinsk, Denenburg, Russia) (See also Dvinsk b elow)

A photo of this village can be found at Boris Feldblyum's Collection at
http://www.bfcollection.net/indphoto/bfc00875.html

Cemetery
The  Jewish cemetery of Daugavpils

Dvinsk - (Daugavpils)
This Dvinsk web site contains some excellent information and includes photos
http://www.google.com/search?q=Daugavpils+jew&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

http://www.rumbula.org/daugavpils_jewish_today.shtml

http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/holocaust/0143_Daugavpils_ghetto.html 

http://www1.yadvashem.org/untoldstories/daugavpils/daugavpils.html  

There is a transcription of the Rezhitsan 1897 census info on the JewishGen database, along with other surrounding towns i.e. Dvinsk (Dauagavpils) and Ludza.
http://www.jewishgen.org/belarus/intro_1897_russian_census.htm

Jewish Families of Dvinsk Database  
http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Latvia/

Members of the Jewish Community Board before WW II
http://vishki.pagesperso-orange.fr/birthsdvinskninetynine.html

Regional Special Interest Groups
Courland SIG - Latvia SIG 
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia 

Dinaburg

A photo of this village can be found at Boris Feldblyum's Collection
http://www.bfcollection.net/indphoto/bfc00875.html

http://www.jewishgen.org/belarus/shtetls/shtetl_detail.php?filename=sdaugavpilsdv

http://www.ldorvdor.net/scadryn/n1309.html

Dvinsk

Jewish Families of Dvinsk Database
http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Latvia/

http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/dvinsk/dvinsk.html

http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/shefayim_dvinsk_wwii.htm

Gostini

Regional Special Interest Groups
Courland SIG
Latvia SIG 
Contact Howard V. Epstein, Ph.D.     
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia 

http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org/latvia/gostini.html

http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia/SIG_newsletter.html

Jekabpils (Jakobshtadt, Jacobstadt, Yakovshtat, Yekabpils)

Located 82 km NW of Daugavpils
http://www.jews.lv/en/about_us/council_of_the_jewish_communities_of_latvia/
jekabpils_jewish_community/ 

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_10060.html

See also Krustpils ShtetLinks page which is combined with Jekabpils, there is a link to a map and a list
of Jekabpils and Krustpils residents and their occupations.  The 2 Shtetlach were on east and west
banks of the Daugava river  
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/jekabpils/jekabpils.htm 

http://www.balticgen.com/videos.htm

An excellent resource whose webmaster is Arlene Beare who is President of Latvia SIG.  arl@dircon.co.uk  
www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/jekabpils/jekabpils.htm 

Cemetery List of Jekabpils (incomplete)
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/jekabpils/Jekabpils_Jewish_Cemetery.htm 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2205726&CScntry=94& 

Jewish Community
http://www.jews.lv/en/content/jekabpils-jewish-community

Jews without permits
http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/latvia/passlossen.htm

Latvia Genealogy Links
http://www.genealogylinks.net/europe/latvia/

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/jekabpils/Jekabpils.htm

Regional Special Interest Groups
Courland SIG - Latvia SIG  
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/ 

Korsovka

Located in Letgale (eastern Latvia)
http://news.webshots.com/album/95154022HwHDNd 

http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/kurenets/k_pages/gordin_stories_docs.html 

Cemetery
A photo of the Jewish cemetery, is on Chaim Freedman's blog
http://chfreedman.blogspot.com:80/

Kraslava

Webmaster is Mark Heckman
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/kraslava/

Cemetery
The  Jewish cemetery of Kraslava

Kreslavka

A photo of this village can be found at Boris Feldblyum's Collection
http://www.bfcollection.net/indphoto/bfc00875.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Jews

http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/kurenets/k_pages/gordin_stories_docs.html

Cemetery
http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org/latvia/kraslava.html

Krustspils

See also Jekabpils ShtetLinks page which is combined with Krustspils where there is a link to a map and a list of Jekabpils and Krustspils residents and their occupations.  Both shtetlach were on the east and west banks of the Daugava river and both should be checked for names of family 
http://www.Shtetlinks.Jewishgen.org/Jekabpils/krustpils_right__east__bank.htm 

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/jekabpils/JK.html

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/jekabpils/jekabpils.htm

and follow links residents and occupations. 

Research
Nearly 1,500 names for Krustspils, covering the years 1896/1897 have been added to the All Latvia Database.  Addresses are given as well as occupations.  A Passport Registration database for this town has also been added. 
http://www.jewishgen.org/belarus/intro_1897_russian_census.htm

http://www.kindredtrails.com/latvia.html

Libava / Libau / Liepaja (German name: Libau,  Libava,  Lijepaja) (Yiddish & Russian is Libove)

Located in Courland province which was part of East Prussia and a German province before it became part of Poland and then later part of the Russian Empire.  German was the official language of the area until some time in the nineteenth century. Liepaja was the major port of embarkation from Russia via the Baltic Sea

The Jewish Community of Libau (Liepaja)
www.jgbgb.org.uk

Cemetery
The record book of the Liepaja Jewish Cemetery 1909-1941, with 3560 names, is available on the Web
http://www.ej-anders.com/users/xenon2/cem/CemIndex.htm

Holocaust
http://www.rumbula.org/liepaja_holocaust_jewish.shtml

http://www.liepajajews.org/db.htm

http://www.liepajajews.org/wall_web1/info.htm

http://avaslan.net/The-killing-fields-of-Skede

Research
Births in 1905 in List Form
http://www.premiumorange.com/rigavitalrecords/birthsliepajaonehundredfive.html 

Jews In LIEPAJA/LATVIA, 1941-45
 A Database of victims and survivors
 http://www.liepajajews.org/

Regional Special Interest Groups
Courland SIG - Latvia SIG   
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia

Yizkor Book
"A Town Named Libau"
A translation of the 36 page booklet in English, German and Hebrew   
http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Libau/Libau.html

http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/translations.html

Livani

Cemetery
The  Jewish cemetery of  Livani

1897 Census
http://www.premiumorange.com/rigavitalrecords/tziviandvinskwo.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Zieman

http://www.geschichteinchronologie.ch/eu/Lettland/EncJud_juden-in-Lettland-ENGL.html 

Ludza (Lutzin) 

Cemetery
Photo of Lutzin cemetery and the data can be seen on the Ludza/Karsava site
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Ludza/

Deaths in Ludza in 1867-1868, 1875 and 1893
http://www.premiumorange.com/rigavitalrecords/deathsludzasixtysevenetc.html 

Census
There is a transcription of the Rezhitsan 1897 census info on the JewishGen database, along with other surrounding towns i.e. Dvinsk (Daugavpils) and Ludza.
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Ludza/blade.html

Community
http://www.jews.lv/en/content/ludza-jewish-religious-community

Holocaust
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Ludza/names/martyrs.html

http://www1.yadvashem.org/untoldstories/ludza/ludza.html

Regional Special Interest Groups - Courland SIG - Latvia SIG  
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia

Marienhausen (now Vilaka)

Located 161km NNE of Daugavpils (was Dvinsk).
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0012_0_11931.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taunusstein

Deaths in Ludza in 1867-1868, 1875 and 1893
http://www.premiumorange.com/rigavitalrecords/deathsludzasixtysevenetc.html 

Yizkor Book
http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_latvia/lat_00119.html

http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/kurenets/k_pages/bobrowicz.html 

Mitau (Jelgava)

Age and Family Structures among the Jews of Mitau, Kurland, 1833–1834
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1081602X03000629

http://www.citeulike.org/article/45077

Books  
          

"A Jewish Life Under the Tsars"
The autobiography of Chaim Asonson, 1825-1888"
Authored by Ira Leibowitz - gives some insight into life in that period in Serednik, Russia (now Seredzius, Lithuania) as well as in Shadova (Seduva), Kurovian (Kurtuvenai) Mitau (Jelgava, Latvia) and Telz (Telsiai)
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=664&letter=M

http://www.jewishgen.org/Litvak/jewishlife_tsars.htm

http://www.edwardvictor.com/Jelgava_Mitau.htm

A photo of this village can be found at Boris Feldblyum's Collection at
http://www.bfcollection.net/indphoto/bfc00875.html

Tax Defaulter List
http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/mitau_tax.htm

Mitava (Mitau)

After many centuries of categorical prohibition to reside in Russia, Jews at last arrived legally in Russia. The last confirmation of such prohibition was made by the Empress Elizabeth. It was in the reign of Catherine II in 1764 that the first Jewish immigrants arrived in Russia to assume permanent residence.

Catherine II, shortly after ascending the throne, decided to open the door to colonists, especially in the southern provinces, and to revive trade, industry and agriculture. For this purpose by the nominal decree dated June 22, 1763, the "Conseliaria Opecunstva Inostrannykh" (Chancellery, for Guardianship of Foreigners) was created. At the head of this Chancellery the Empress placed the closest man to her, Gregory Orlov.

And, in defiance of all the existing prejudices, Catherine II decides to include in the number of these "foreigners" the Jews. However, knowing the backward culture that surrounded her, she was too apprehensive to state it openly. Owing to this, she officially permitted the Jews to settle in the newly created province of "Novorossiysk" — New Russia — only on November 1769 in the decree to the Governor General of Kiev, Voyeikov. Until this, the intention of the Empress to let Jews into Russia was expressed by her in a, so to say, conspiracy with persons in her attendance. This "conspiracy" was reflected in the correspondence with the Riga Governor, "General Braun. The correspondence in which the whole matter was treated secretly. In the letter, delivered to Braun by the Major Rtishchev, it was noted: ''When some foreign merchants of Novorossiysk province will be recommended by the Chancellery of Guardianship, permission shall be granted for them to live in Riga for the execution of trade, as is allowed by the law of Riga to merchants of other Russian provinces." If, furthermore, these merchants would their salesmen, representatives, and workers to settle in New Russia, proper passports must be issued to them, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR RELIGION and escorts provided for their safe conduct. If, lastly, there come from Mitava three or four men, who might wish to go to Petersburg with their requirements to the treasury, passports must be issued to them WITHOUT INDICATION OF THEIR NATIONALITY, AND WITHOUT INQUIRIES ABOUT THEIR RELIGION. Only their names must be stated in their passports. For the identification of themselves these people would resent A LETTER FROM THE PETERSBURG'S MERCHANT LEVIN WOOLF”. In such a mysterious way the settlement of Jews in Russia was initiated.

http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/MIC_MOL/MITAU_Russian_Mitava_Lettish_Ye.html

http://www.jewishgen.org/Courland/consular/cons_jews.htm

A photo of this village can be found at Boris Feldblyum's Collection at
http://www.bfcollection.net/indphoto/bfc00875.html

Ogre

Located about 21 miles from Riga   
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia

http://data.jewishgen.org/wconnect/wc.dll?jg~jgsys~shtetm~-3211301

http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Pinkas_latvia/pinkas_latvia.html

http://www.docstoc.com/search/ogre-latvia

http://www.shamir.lv/images/Rummel_1.pdf

Palanga

Palanga became part of the Courland Province of the Russian Empire in 1819.  The Courland Province included the Latvian Territory of Courland and a small part of north west Lithuania.  Palanga has therefore always been part of Lithuania.  From a posting by Arlene Beare

http://lithuania.jkaptein.nl/independence_places02.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courland

http://www.roots-saknes.lv/Ethnicities/Jews.htm

http://www.roots-saknes.lv/Ethnicities/Jews/PolangenJews/PolangenJews.htm 

http://www.lithuanianhotels.com/site/palanga

http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia/SIG_Newsletter/1004_SIG_July_2006.pdf

The first Jewish community on the territory of Latvia was developed in Piltene when Denmark sold Piltene to Poland.
http://www.am.gov.lv/en/ministry/4265/4299/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Latvia

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Latvia.html

Cemetery
http://histfam.familysearch.org/getperson.php?personID=I60509&tree=Knowles

Deportation of 1915
http://www.am.gov.lv/en/ministry/4265/4299/#1-16

Tax List
http://histfam.familysearch.org/getperson.php?personID=I60505&tree=Knowles

A photo of this village can be found at Boris Feldblyum's Collection
http://www.bfcollection.net/indphoto/bfc00875.html

Cemetery of Rezekne
http://usdine.free.fr/rezeknejewishcemetery.html

http://www.culturekitchen.com/mole333/image/old_jewish_cemetary_in_rezekne_latvia 

Holocaust
http://rezekne.latviasig.org/

http://rezekne.latviasig.org/jewish_rezekne7.htm

http://rezekne.latviasig.org/jewish_rezekne5.htm

Jewish Family List from Rezekne
http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Latvia/RezekneFamilyList1898.htm

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1496

   Maps
http://www.mavensearch.com/synagogues/map/5443

Passport Registration database of the All Latvia database.
http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Latvia/Passport.htm

http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/latvia/

Rezhitsa (Rezhitsan)

A photo of this village can be found at Boris Feldblyum's Collection
http://www.bfcollection.net/indphoto/bfc00875.html

There is a transcription of the Rezhitsan 1897 census info on the JewishGen database, along with other surrounding towns i.e. Dvinsk (Daugavpils) and Ludza.

http://www.beljews.info/Rezhitsa1.htm

http://www.jewishgen.org/Courland/stalin_shot.htm

http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/shefayim_photos_people.htm

Riga

Known before WW II as "the Paris of the Baltics". The city is located on the Daugava river about 10 miles inland from the Baltic Sea in northeastern Europe. It is the largest city in Latvia with a population of about 850,000.

Riga, Latvia Web Site
An excellent resource whose webmaster is Arlene Beare, President of Latvia SIG. 
arl@dircon.co.uk 
Click on University of Latvia link or direct URL
www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/riga/rigapage.htm 

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/riga/LV_univ.htm

There is an article in the October 2003 issue Hadassah Magazine, entitled "Riga" and authored by Dan Fellner.
http://www.hadassah.org/news/content/per_hadassah/archive/2003/03_OCT/traveler.htm

Jewish Community
Riga LV 1322, Latvia
http://www.rumbula.org/VirtualTours/RigaJCC_photo0.shtml

Center for Judaic Studies
University of Latvia
Rainis Boulevard 19
Riga, Latvia
E-mail: ad@lanet.lv
http://www.lu.lv/cjs/

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/riga/LV_univ.htm

Jewish Community Center
Skolas 6
Telephone: 371 728 9580

The Center is in a former Jewish theater building that dates back before WW I.  On the third floor is The Jews in Latvia Museum - Telephone: 371 728 3484: open Sunday through Thursday 12 to 5, which offers the history of Jewish life in Latvia.  Maps that show the former Jewish sites in Riga, including the Old Jewish Cemetery, can be purchased at The Center.
http://www.rumbula.org/VirtualTours/RigaJCC_photo0.shtml

Books 
         

"The Ghetto of Riga"
A book authored by Alfred Winter, a survivor of the Riga Ghetto and a witness at War Crimes trials can be contacted at RigaGhetto@aol.com

Cemetery
The old Jewish cemetery (on Liksnas Street) was destroyed and is now a park with a memorial plaque.  There is a large, new cemetery.  There are no records of any lists of those buried at the State historical Archives, according to Arlene Beare, President Latvia SIG
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Riga.html

Holocaust
In an area just east of this city  known as Bikernieku forest now contains a $242,000 memorial to commemorate the killing of some 30,000 Jews from across Europe in 1941 and 1942.  Victims' cities of origin are engraved on miniature obelisks that fill a hollowed-out section of the forest floor, symbolizing the pits where Jews were forced to lie on the bodies of previous victims before being shot.  A capsule inside the memorial also contains the names of Latvian Jews deported to their deaths   
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia 

Austrian, Czech, and German Jews in Riga. Data on 876 forced Jewish laborers in Riga, Latvia.

Jewish Riga Memorial to victims of the Nazi Regime
http://www.inyourpocket.com/latvia/riga/sightseeing/jewishriga/memorial-to-victims-of-the-nazi-regime_11229v   

Museum of Occupation of Latvia
Streinieku laukums 1
Riga
Telephone: 371 721 2715
Closed Mondays
http://www.occupationmuseum.lv/eng/about_us/welcome.html

Holocaust

Research
1900 Riga Passport database of people connected to Vilna http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/vilna/vilna.htm

Regional Special Interest Groups
Courland SIG - Latvia SIG 
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/  

http://www.rumbula.org/riga_jewish_history.shtml

Synagogues
Big Choral Synagogue
Gogola and Dzirnavu
Riga (only a brick foundation and a memorial plaque are visible)
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Riga.html

Peitav Shul
The only surviving synagogue of 14 before WW II
Peitavas 6/8
Riga, Latvia
Telephone: 011-371-722-4549
http://www.bh.org.il/Communities/Synagogue/Riga.asp

Yizkor Book
"Austrian, Czech and German Jews in Riga"
http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/translations.html

Subate (Shubitz)

http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/2034657

http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia/SIG_Newsletter/0903_SIG_June_2005.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subate

Cemetery
http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/2034657

http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia/SIG_newsletter.html

Regional Special Interest Groups
Courland SIG - Latvia SIG  
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/  

Synagogue
http://www.isjm.org/SitesMonuments/Europe/Latvia/tabid/123/Default.aspx

A wooden synagogue was located in this community
http://www.woodensynagogues.com  

Touring
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/672eb/6b4ce/

Tallinn

Find a virtual tour of the city
http://mapwing.com

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Estonia.html

http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia/jews_in__estonia.pdf

http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org/estonia/tallin.html

http://www.einst.ee/factsheets/jews/

Talsi (Talsen)

Both the cemetery and the Talsi Jewish community were established in the mid-19th century. In 1881, about 1,400 Jews lived in Talsi, 41 per cent of the total population. By 1920, the Jewish population had dropped to 637. A Cheder opened in the town in 1905, followed by a Jewish school in 1920. The community’s last rabbi was Boruh Zelig Levenberg, who perished in the Holocaust.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talsi

Cemetery
http://www.lo-tishkach.org/en/index.php?categoryid=28&p2_articleid=109

http://home.comcast.net/~bgephart/journal.html

  Maps

http://www.maplandia.com/latvia/talsu/talsi/

Registrar Office

The name and address of the Talsi Registrar is
Registry Office
Lielaja iela 25,
Talsi, LV3201
Latvia

Regional Special Interest Groups
Courland SIG - Latvia SIG  
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia   

Yizkor Book
http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_latvia/lat_00130.html

Valdemarpils (Shasmaken, Sasmaka)

Cemetery
http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org/latvia/valdemarpils.html

History
http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/katzen7.htm

Records
Some records are not held in the  Latvian State Historical Archives but are held in smaller regional Archives.  Rita Bogdanova at the Latvian State Historical Archives is the contact and she has confirmed after calling the Talsi Archives that there are Birth Marriage and Death records for the years 1881-1913 for Valdemarpils in the Talsi Regional Archives.
http://www.premiumorange.com/rigavitalrecords/marthalevzionseventythree.html 

http://www.premiumorange.com/rigavitalrecords/marthalevzionsixtyseven.html 

Talsi Registrar
Registry Office
Lielaja iela 25,
Talsi, LV3201
Latvia

Regional Special Interest Groups
Courland SIG - Latvia SIG    
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia 

Synagogue
http://www.lu.lv/jsc/pilsetas/zemgale/synagogues-in-kurzeme-and-semgale-18-century-1941/

Yizkor Book
http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_latvia/lat_00109.html

Varaklani (Varklian)

Cemetery
http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org/latvia/varaklany.html

History
http://www.dinur.org/resources/resourceKeywordManual.aspx?letter=V&rsid=297

Holocaust
http://vip.latnet.lv/lpra/fg_july.htm

Regional Special Interest Groups
Courland SIG - Latvia SIG
http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia 

http://www.tangodiva.com/index.php?page=features&j=1&cat=2&story_id=343 

Since the above is a php file, you might want to do a search on Google to see this interesting story.

http://www.jewishgen.org/latvia/varaklani.html

http://data.jewishgen.org/wconnect/wc.dll?jg~jgsys~shtetm~-3213892

Travel
http://www.tangodiva.com/index.php?page=features&j=1&cat=2&story_id=343 

Vilaka (now known as Marienhausen) see Marienhausen

Vishkla  (Viski)

There were Jews in Vishki from 1897 to 2006. Vishki is a village in Vishki parish, Daugavpils district. The population of the Vishki parish is 2389 inhabitants but the village counts less than 150 inhabitants. Most of the time it looks like a ghost town. This shtetl is north of Daugavpils.
http://www.shamir.lv/stuf/vishki_a_shtetl_in_latvia.pdf

There are links at this page to more information on the Jews in Latvia 1897-1942 - Passenger list. This is a blog.
http://usdin.skyrock.com/

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/viski/

http://usdin.dumes.net/

http://usdin.dumes.net/klaus.html

 
Typical old Jewish Cemetery today.  Photo from the "Findagrave.com" site

Cemetery  
Videos of Viski and other Latvian Jewish interests
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww2_p0DZUOA

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2353083

http://usdin.skyrock.com/2.html

The  Jewish cemetery of Vishki

Windau (Ventspils)

Chaim Freedman has created a very creative Blog which includes photos of this shtetl and his personal family history.
http://chfreedman.blogspot.com:80/

Cemetery
http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org//latvia/windau.html

History
http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/lipschitz.htm

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=831&letter=C

http://www.edwardvictor.com/2005/Ventspils.htm

Yelgava (Mitava in Courland, Russia)

A photo of this village can be found at Boris Feldblyum's Collection at
http://www.bfcollection.net/indphoto/bfc00875.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Tufkaa/Sandbox/Medzh

http://www.gorod.lv/news/35050/jews_in_latvia

http://www.ninakossman.com/leonidkossman/family.html

Cemetery
http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org/latvia/jaunjelgava.html

Holocaust
http://www.lootedart.com/MG7RRW44983

Please let me know if there is a favorite link of yours that is not included in my site and I will be happy to add it to Jewish Web Index          

Email Jwebindex@gmail.com

more to come ...