This database consists of over 2,000 individuals residing in Riga who are recorded as having perished at the hands of the German forces, most during the mass killings of 1941. In fact this is only a small fraction of the over 27,000 Jewish victims from Riga believed to have perished by that date. The Latvia SIG is indebted to Vadim Altskan of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Peter Lande, volunteer at the Museum who first brought these records to the attention of the SIG and who organised their extraction thereby bringing this project to reality. Frank McNulty helped with the Russian translation. This database focuses on residents of Riga.
Work continues in respect of records relating to areas other than Riga.
The records do not follow a consistent pattern, vary in quality and are not comprehensive. The list contains a number of names which are obviously not Jewish but rather Latvian in origin. It is hoped that these lists will be further reviewed by the specialist archivists in Riga as part of the overall project that is planned to compile a definitive list of those Latvian Jews who perished in the Holocaust. The Extraordinary Commission lists are one of a number of sources which will be thoroughly examined and assessed as part of this project. This project is still in the planning stage but will be under the auspices of the Centre for Judaic Studies and further details will be announced as they are received.