An online audio map of Rīga has been created to provide information about the locations where Jews were hidden in the city during World War II.
The digital map, named Underground Riga, has been available in four languages, and allows those observing social distancing or self-quarantine to enjoy a historical virtual audio tour from the comfort of their homes. A Hebrew version is in the works.
There are currently 28 memorial plaques located throughout Rīga at places where Jews were rescued. The map also includes places such as the Rīga Ghetto, and the Kaiserwald and Lenta concentration camps.
“Those who chose to actively resist the Holocaust were a minority everywhere, including Latvia. Because of their small number, the resistance failed to become a movement and was only expressed as a protest by some individuals against the inhumane treatment of Jews by the Nazis,” said Jews in Latvia museum founder Marģers Vestermanis.
The information he gathered about rescuers of Jews in Rīga and throughout Latvia over several years has become the basis for the creation of the virtual audio map. The Žanis Lipke Memorial society also has an online map that provides historical texts and photos of the locations where Rīga residents hid their fellow citizens.
