Jewish Museum of Latvia

Riga, Latvia

The museum “Jews in Latvia” was established in 1989 to research, popularize and commemorate the history of Latvia's Jewish community. The museum's exhibition is housed in three halls in the historical building of former Jewish theatre.

The visitors of the museum can get acquainted with different aspects of Latvian Jewish history and culture from the beginnings in XVI century and to 1945 – legal status and economic activities, education and religion, political and intellectual pursuits. The special section is dedicated to Holocaust and rescuing of the Jews in Nazi-occupied Latvia.

In the collection of the museum are stored close to 14,000 units – documents, photos, books and artifacts. Of special interest is wide range of XIX-XX century memoirs, the rich collection of family photos, as well as printed materials of different Jewish organizations from interwar era.

We will be grateful for help provided in broadening the collection of the museum with the documents and photos from your private archives and family albums.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Skolas iela 6, Riga, Latvia
See all sites in Riga

Details

Founded: 1989
Category: Museums in Latvia
Historical period: Soviet Era (Latvia)

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Marks Zaltans (2 years ago)
An interesting place that needs to focus less on documents but more decorative stuff, it can get boring fast
Wioleta Morańska (3 years ago)
It’s a very small museum, but totally worth visiting. Be sure to take free audio in English (or maybe they have one in your language) and go around.
Natie N (6 years ago)
The museum is devoted to Jewish culture, tradions, different famous Jewish persons and express the Holocaut time. Holocaut time exhibition had very hard atmosphere, you can find photos and some belongings of peoples. At the same floor where is located the museum is reachable amazing hall, where we enjoyed the concert at Museum Night 2019. During the museum night we had pleasure to participate in Jewish dance and it was AWESOME. Music was pleasant, fast and dancer teachers high professionals. If you want to learn the Jewish dances, then each Wednesday at 6.00 p.m. you are welcome to join the dancers club. I highly reccomend!!!
Kärlek Lila (6 years ago)
For Latvia's small Jewish community this museum has quite a sizeable exhibit. Rīga was once a haven of Jewish cultural tradition due to it's large Jewish population. Mostly decimated during the Holocaust, Rīga's Jewish population is seeing a slow resurrgence in recent years. This museum was pleasure to visit, rich in history. As expected a large section was dedicated to Latvia's Holocaust years, including the notable people who saved the lives of Jews during WWII.
Jeri Pliner (7 years ago)
Excellent source of information on the holocaust in Latvia as well as Jewish life and people if pre-WWII. Audio explanations in English, Russian, and Latvian. Numerous photos and artifacts, even German film footage of the atrocities.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.