Walking around in the former Riga Ghetto was rather disturbing experience. The ghetto was set up for approximately 30,000 Jewish citizens, in 1941, who were forcibly resettled there. During our tour, Ilya showed us photographs depicting what the area used to look like , for example, we walked along the very street where the ghetto fence once stood. Even though it was difficult to imagine, the historical weight of the place had a lasting and disturbing effect on us.
He also explained the logic and psychological impact behind the ghetto’s design, which included see-through fences and separate areas for Jews from different countries. The purpose of the fence was not primarily to prevent escape, but rather to send a message to the non-Jewish population: that Jews were no longer part of society, and that any attempt to help or even communicate with them would be punished.
In contrast to Germany, the Shoah in Latvia took place in plain sight of the local neighbors. While most did not know the full details, they witnessed firsthand the initial isolation of Jewish communities and later observed how those who had been killed were transported back to the city from the forests.
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