Today is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day – Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
The Holocaust is World War II genocide of European Jews. Nazi Germany brutally murdered 6 million Jews and 11 million others of different ethnic and social groups between 1941-1945, destroying around two-thirds of Europe’s population.
When I visited Riga, Latvia I had a guided tour to Salaspils Concentration Camp Memorial Ensemble.
Emotionally, it was a very difficult tour and almost impossible to hear these tragic stories without tears. Being on the territory of the memorial, I really felt that the soil was groaning… Every inch of it was filled with pain and suffering… The sound of the metronome, which was played continuously, sounded like a beating heart… People brought flowers and toys to the place where the children’s barracks were located… At that moment my emotions reached the limit. I cried. I couldn’t breathe from anger and compassion. How such violence and cruelty can happen? It is impossible to believe that people are capable to do these terrible things.
I will never forget my visit to Memorial Ensemble, and I would like to honor the memory of victims.
Salaspils Concentration Camp
Salaspils concentration camp was built during World War II on the territory of Latvia occupied by Nazi Germany. The camp located just several kilometers from the city of Riga and was active until the end of the summer of 1944.
Initially, the camp was built for Jews deported from Germany, but in March 1943, civilians, women and children, were brought to the camp from different occupied parts of the Soviet Union. Most adults were forced to Germany to work, but the kids were taken from their mothers and kept in Salaspils camp.
Salaspils wasn’t a death camp like Sobibor (Poland) and was described as a labor camp, but inhuman living conditions in it caused mass deaths of prisoners from hunger, severe disease and cold. Executions, torturing, hanging and other forms of murder were the usual punishment.
It also was a concentration camp for children. Lots of little kids were held there, who were used for medical experiments and for taking blood for wounded German soldiers.
More than 3,000 children under the age of 5 were killed in the camp in the period from 1942 to 1943.
According to Soviet sources, over 100 thousand people were killed in the Salaspils concentration camp, including 7 thousand children.
In 1967, the Salaspils Memorial Ensemble was established on the site of the camp.
Salaspils Concentration Camp Memorial Ensemble.
In 1967 Salaspils Memorial Ensemble was open and this a memorial complex devoted to the victims of Nazism. It is established on the site of a former Nazi concentration camp. The soil from 23 similar concentration camps that operated in Latvia during the German occupation was collected and laid under the memorial tombstone.
At the entrance of the memorial complex is a huge asymmetrical concrete wall with a narrow entrance symbolizing the gate to life and death. On the wall inscription from a poem by Latvinian poet Eijen Veveris, who was a prisoner of the camp says: Aiz šiem vārtiem vaid zeme (English: The ground groans behind these gates).
Also, on a large field installed seven concrete figures. Each of the figures stands right on the ground, without any pedestal, and has their own name: Unbroken, Humiliated, Protest, Oath, Rot Front, Solidarity, Mother.
The metronome sounds, which played continuously symbolizing rhythm of beating heart.
Along the edges of the field, on concrete cubes, engravings in Russian and Latvian languages: Here people were executed because they were innocent… Here people were executed because each of them was a human being and loved their Motherland.
My Dear Friends and Young Generation !
War is the worst and most disgusting thing that can happen. It always brings a lot of suffering, tears, pain and takes many lives away.
We must visit such places, so nobody will forget the terrible history and prevent others from rewriting it.
Hopefully past mistakes of our ancestors be a good lesson for all of us and teach us to be more sympathetic, kind, respect each other and appreciate the peace.
We can’t change the past. We can only accept it. Learn history, educate yourself and never repeat these awful mistakes. Remember, that a bad peace is still better than a good war.
I wish every country and each of you health, peace and happiness. May the younger generation will never know the horrors of war and will live in a happy future.
Take a care of Peace ! It is very fragile !
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Very sadly, humankind has a limited memory and already numerous atrocious events took place in our societies which prove it will probably happen again in another form…
Thank you for sharing .
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Yes. Unfortunately….
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Sadly, we don’t learn. Many in this country do not believe the Holocaust even happened. And it continues in much the same way in Tibet and now with the Uighur minority in China. It’s as if there is something not right in the human spirit. I believe teenagers should all be required to visit places such as this camp you describe. There is something chilling about such places that makes a deep impression. At least, I would hope so. We have no such places in the States and yet millions of Native Americans were exterminated. I think it is high time we all examined our historic consciences. No, we are not responsible for what was done by our ancestors but we still have not learned to be civilized.
When I read posts like yours, it gives me hope because I see that there are many good people who want to improve the world. We have to hold our politicians accountable, force them to consider the welfare of the planet and all its people, not just the wealthy. Peace.
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I agreed with every word you said. I was so desperate to write this post even it was emotionally hardest one. Thanks a lot for your comment.
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We should never forget these atrocities and maybe one day everyone can learn from them. This was a powerful post.
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Agreed. Thank you!
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Thank you for your sharing such a heartfelt post. I can’t imagine how it must feel to be there. So intense. So sad. So much shame for humanity. 🤗🤗🌹
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It was unbearable. I’m glad I did this post. I felt it was important to me to share.
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The earth groaning is such a moving metaphor. It upsets me that so many people deny that this happen, and even worse, perpetuate such hate and violence.
I think many people do not know that there were so many camps throughout the occupied countries.
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I think so too. And I absolutely agreed with you, people don’t learn anything. Very sad.
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That was such a horrendous time. We visited Auschwitz…such a gruesome site.
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We have to start learning from the mistakes of the past.
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I really hope so.
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Such a beautiful and heart wrenching post. I totally agree with you. Sadly, many have either forgotten or just don’t care. More and more people are giving up on humanity and choosing to hurt their fellow human beings and it’s happening now.
As a teenager, I read “The Diary of Anne Frank” and her words put me right there with her and compelled me to feel the fear and terror she must have felt. My heart went out to her and her family. God bless her!
And. for the life of me, I never thought I’d see the day when people would begin heading in the direction of repeating the same mistakes but that’s what’s happening. Media is brainwashing us and schools have stopped teaching history and reminding us of the mistakes of the past. It’s as if the powers that be want us to forget so they can force us to repeat them. It is my hope that we can turn it around before it’s too late. Thank you for this post! More people need to be reminded that, yes, such evil exists.
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You are absolutely right Cherie! Unfortunately people don’t learn from mistakes. But we have to talk about it, because it is very important not to forget. Thank you very much for your comment. I highly appreciate it!
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You’re so welcome, Angela. Sending you lots of love and light. 🙂
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Just so horrible to think about all the suffering.
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Lest we forget… Thank you for such an insightful post. I had no idea that there were concentration camps in Latvia. My father in law spent 5 years in a POW camp in east Germany. Our recent riot at the Capitol should make us aware how fragile peace and democracy is.
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There were 44,000 camps including ghettos in Europe. This is so awful. And yes we should be very careful with peace this days. Media tricks can easily mislead people and get them into tragedy and uncontrolled situation. Sad. Thank you for your comment. Highly appreciated it.
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You are most welcome.
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It is one of the main reasons I felt so ill at ease when I went to Berlin for the first time, a few years ago. Too much memories. Even the steet names made me shiver… No offence to today’s Berliners, of course, but the city gave me the creeps.
Thank you for your post.
Cheers,
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My pleasure! Thank you for your comment.
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These were not mistakes anymore than the Transatlantic transport of millions of Africans. They were cruel, calculated, deliberate intentions designed to wipe a group of people from the face of the earth.
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