News

The exhibition is dedicated to the Holocaust – the targeted and systematic killing of Jews by the Nazi regime during World War II. As a result of the mass extermination of Jews, only 25 out of approximately 5,500 Jews in Liepāja survived the Holocaust. In Europe as a whole, two-thirds or 6 million Jews, including 1 million children, were killed by the end of the Second World War. As part of the exhibition “The Great Void. The Holocaust in Liepāja”, the Director of the Liepāja Museum, Dace Kārkla, pointed out at the opening of the exhibition there was no exhibition dedicated to the Holocaust in the branch of the Museum of the Occupation. Hence, its creation is a long-awaited and important event that will help future generations understand the city’s historical events and fate in the shadow of the Second World War.

“Jewish culture and social life have always been important to Liepāja’s culture. To fully tell the history of the city to the younger generation, the Holocaust must be discussed as part of the history of Liepāja and the fate of its citizens. Only by being aware of where hatred and intolerance of difference can lead humanity can we strive for a tolerant and inclusive society. The Uniting Foundation has been researching the Holocaust in Liepāja for many years, trying to understand how to tell the story to future generations not just as an isolated historical event but as a tragedy of fellow human beings, similar to the Soviet repression, “We are pleased that, working hand in hand with the Liepāja Museum and the design office H2E, we have managed to create a modern and innovative exhibition.”

The concept of the exhibition is designed as a novella in three parts. The first part is a photographic record of life before the war, which greets visitors with the pulsating life and happy faces of Liepāja’s Jewish families. The second part is designed as the culmination of the exhibition – the great void – or the place where the usual world collapses, and the ground disappears beneath our feet. The space is based on a historical video of the mass shooting of Jews in the dunes of Šķēde in 1941. The visually and emotionally powerful material is impossible to miss. Subordinate to the video projections, the exhibition volume includes collection materials on the humiliation of Jews in the occupied city, as well as vivid, short text fragments on anti-Semitic prejudice and the nature of the Holocaust. The third part of the exhibition, designed as an interpreted hideaway, is dedicated to the theme of the Jewish rescuers, their humanity, and their strong will to survive.

Ingūna Elere, founder and lead designer at Design Studio H2E, describes the concept of the exhibition as follows: “As the creators of the exhibition, we showed space, telling the drama of humanity in three parts.

The theme of humanity’s limits is always relevant, especially today. We hope the exhibition will encourage a deeper understanding of the events of that time, making today’s and tomorrow’s society more inclusive and human.”

Photo report from the opening: https: //failiem.lv/u/9z4qccjqwp (Photo: Valters Pelns)

The exhibition’s content was created by the Liepāja Museum team, Iļja Ļenskis (Museum “Jews in Latvia”), Dr.hist. Jānis Šiliņš (Structural unit of the Latvian National Archives “Latvian State Historical Archives”), Maija Meiere-Oša (Žanis Lipke Memorial), Normunds Rudēvics (Roma Cultural Centre). Director Lauris Gundars created the dramaturgy of the exhibition.

The Uniting Foundation and the Latvian Jewish Community Restitution Fund support the exhibition.

The exhibition “The Great Void. The Holocaust in Liepāja” is open to the public at the Liepāja Occupation Museum, 7/9 Klāva Ukstiņa Street, Liepāja. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10.00 to 18.00. More information: www.okupacija.liepajasmuzejs.lv

For further reeference:

The Uniting Foundation is a charitable organization established in 2019 to contribute to developing a united, equal, and culturally literate Latvian society. Since its establishment, the projects implemented and supported by the Foundation aim to preserve Latvia’s historical heritage, enrich cultural life, and reduce social inequalities. The Foundation has so far collaborated with partners such as Žanis Lipke Memorial, Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, Centre for Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia, HospissLV, Liepāja Theatre, Liepāja University, Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, concert hall “Lielais dzintars”, etc., as well as several independent researchers, writers, and artists, supporting research work, publishing historically significant books, as well as exhibitions and permanent expositions. More about the Foundation: www.uniting.lv

For more information:

Elizabete Hartmane
Public Relations Consultant
elizabete.hartmane@uniting.lv
www.uniting.lv
+371 25 99 33 99