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Contemporaneous sources through the centuries

“We  wonder what Latvia was like back then.” That simple question has driven our ongoing digitizing project exploring of Latvia's past through the lens of contemporaneous sources. Not what historians write today with the benefit of the perspective of time, but what travelers recorded of their first-hand experiences, observations, and beliefs, and what scholars recorded as notable at the time. The past comes uniquely alive through the words and images of their times.

We've also broken out portions of our collection on thematic pages focusing on culture, historical images, the DP camp era, and Europe through Soviet eyes.

Materials listed by year and era.

  = album/postcards    = includes facsimile    = culture    = Soviet propaganda 

Table of contents jumps to and expands a time period. Click on the link text or icon to go to the page.

Our entire library by era and year published General histories and sources Biographies — by year of birth 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century The Revolution, WWI, War of Independence, 1900–1920 Independent Latvia, 1918–1939 World War II, 1939-1945 Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Latvia, 1940 Life in post-WWII DP camps, 1944–1951 Soviet era, 1944/5–1991 Post-WWII diaspora, 1950's onward Restoration and the 21st century

Our entire library by era and year published

General histories and sources

Biographies — by year of birth
  • Fridrihs BriedisFridrihs Briedis (LATVIAN, Briedis: īss dzīves stāsts ar 12 ilustracijām pēc Aleksandra Plensnera manuscripta), Aleksandrs Plensners, Mikelis Goppers; David Guild, trans., 1963—Biography of Fridrihs Briedis (June 23, 1888–August 28, 1918), a Latvian colonel and the first and one of the most famous Latvian Riflemen commanders. He eventually sided with the Whites against the Bolsheviks, who captured and executed him in 1918. Latvian and English translation.
  • Anatols DinbergsAnatols Dinbergs—Keeper of Latvia's sovereign continuity throughout the Soviet era and the USSR's occupation of Latvia until the restoration of independence and Latvia's first ambassador to the United States and subsequently to the United Nations.
  • Vilhelms MuntersVilhelms Munters—Latvia's last foreign minister during its first independence, from July 1936 to Soviet occupation, June 1940.
  • Miķelis ValtersMiķelis Valters—Political activist—first to state publicly that Latvian must be independent, journalist, diplomat, contributor to Latvia's multi-ethnic Constitution, and Latvia's first Minister of the Interior.

16th century
  • Cosmographia UniversalisCosmographia Universalis, Sebastian Munsters, 1544—The quintessential view of the Riga skyline circa 1550, and still recognizable today, from Sebastian Munster's "Cosmographia Universalis", and a fragment of the Lord's Prayer in Latvian.
Early-to-mid-16th century Rīga skyline from across the Daugava river.

17th century
Rīga, 1638.
Kuldiga Castle↗ circa 1680. The castle was ordered demolished at the start of the 19th century after falling into ruin.

18th century
  • Russia TravelsTravels Into Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark, William Coxe, T. Caddell, 1790—Historian-clergyman cum tutor-traveling companion to the nobility Coxe's account of his travels through Livonia, from Volume III, Chapter IV. Of particular interest are his statistics on Rīga's shipping and international trade from the 1780's.
Rīga docks scene, 18th century.

19th century
  • Foreign Corn PortsForeign Corn Ports—Riga, The Illustrated London News, May 15, 1847—News article with engraved illustrations.
  • Northern Russia and St. PetersburgNorthern Russia and St. Petersburg, Edna Dean Proctor, Scribner's Monthly, New York, November 1872—Proctor's fascinating and copiously illustrated travelogue delves at length into the Baltic provinces and their peoples, Russian faith and life, and the rise of St. Petersburg out of the northern swamps and bogs.
  • Town of RigaThe Town of Riga, Ballou's Monthly Magazine, February, 1872—An informative, if brief, account of Rīga at its zenith as the second largest port of the Russian empire, and of the history, geography, fauna, and inhabitants of Livonia.
  • Livländische Schweiz
    Livländische Schweiz (The Livonian Switzerland)    , C. Schulz, ca. 1880—A scenic Latvian photo album (20 pictures) of the Gauja river valley surrounding Sigulda.
  • Baltic RussiaBaltic Russia, Henry Lansdell, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, New York, July 1890—Lansdell's richly illustrated travelogue, one of a number which appeared in Harper's from 1887 to 1891, offers a Baltic Russian potpourri of information, from educational expenditures by ethnicity to observations on segregated nude bathing.
  • "Riga" ca. 1897"RIGA", The National Encyclopedia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge, William Mackenzie, London, ca. 1897—Encyclopedia entry for Rīga, including an engraved illustration of a harbor scene.
Hotel Segewold (Sigulda), 1880’s.

The Revolution, WWI, War of Independence, 1900–1920
Домъ Черноголовыхъ.
Schwarzhaupterhaus.—circa 1910.

Independent Latvia, 1918–1939
  • Latvia — Lettish LifeLatvia — Lettish Life in Legendary & Modern Times, Florence Farmborough, various publishers, ca. 1920—Farmborough's vivid and copiously illustrated account of the newly independent Latvia: the challenges of recovering from the devastation of war, an intimate look into daily life, and hope expressed for the future. From J. A. Hammerton's encyclopedia, "Peoples of All Nations: Their Life Today and Story of Their Past."
  • Devastated Latvia, 1921
    Devastated Latvia, photographed and published 1921     (LATVIAN, Latvijas Izpostīto Apgabalu Kongresa Padomes izdevums uzņemts u. izdots 1921 g.), Mārtiņš Lapiņš, Latvijas Izpostīto Apgabalu Kongresa Padome, 1921—Photo print album issued by the Latvia's Devastated Regions Congress Council in 1921 documenting the destruction left in the wake of WWI and Latvia's War of Independence.
  • Opera Program
    Latvian National Opera program     (LATVIAN, Latvijas Nacionālas Operas nedēļas repertuārs), April 1923—Opera attendees' program for April 17 through 28, 1923, restored and facsimile with translation
  • World and Its PeopleThe World and Its People, Part 42, 1924—Profiles, with engraved illustrations and two photographs, of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. Finland included from next installment. Part of subscription-only series.
  • Jānis Čakste In Memoriam
    Jānis Čakste Memorial Album     (LATVIAN, Pirmā Latvijas Valsts Prezidenta Jāņa Čakstes Piemiņai), Latvian Young People's Christian Society "Christian Endevor", 1927—Photo album dedicated to Latvia's first President upon his death in office.
  • World Agriculture—LatviaWorld Agriculture—Latvia, multiple authors, World Agriculture Corporation, 1927—Series of articles on the state and development of Latvia's agriculture and forestry since the end of WWI and War of Independence.
  • The Four New Baltic States"Estonia", "Finland", "Lithuania", "Latvia", The New Human Interest Library. Vol. V., Midland Press, Chicago, 1928—Articles about the four new Baltic states, a decade after independence. Illustrations and photographs.
  • Latvian Butter
    Latvian Butter     (GERMAN, Lettische Butter), National Butter Export Control of Latvia, 1929—Between the wars, Germany grew to become the largest customer for Latvia's prized butter exports. By 1928, the year prior to publication, Latvia was the 10th largest butter exporter in the world with 85% of its butter export going to Germany.
  • "Russia Today"
    "Russia Today"    , A. Benenson, The Ottawa Citizen, 1931—Canadian émigré A. Benenson expresses alarm over Polish armaments and sorrow over Latvia's post-WWI de-industrialization in a letter to the editior from his new homeland.
  • Freedom Monument
    Freedom Monument     (LATVIAN, Brīvības Piemineklis), Jānis Siliņš, Brīvības Pieminekļa Komiteja, 1935—Art critic Jānis Siliņš's detailed discussion of the Freedom Monument, published by the Freedom Monument Committee.
  • Is War Inevitable?
    J. Stalin — Is War Inevitable?    , Roy W. Howard (interviewer), Stalin, Friends of the Soviet Union, 1936—"The Full Text of the Famous Stalin—Howard Interview" of March 1st, 1936, originally carried in U.S. and Soviet news media and subsequently published by the Friends of the Soviet Union for Western consumption. Reading between the lines and redaction by the Chief Censor of the Soviet Union, Stalin admits to not achieving Communism and resorts to memory lapses and protestations of absurdity when confronted with the USSR's failure to comply with its commitment to respect the U.S.
  • Arts & Crafts Exhibition
    The First Latvian Arts and Crafts Exhibition Catalog     (LATVIAN, Pirmās Latvijas Daiļamatniecības Izstādes Katalogs), Valstspapīru Spiestuve, 1937—Essays on the exhibition and aspects of traditional arts and crafts. B&W and color plates of exhibit objects. Facsimile.
  • Latvia for TravelersLatvia for Travelers (GERMAN, Lettland für Reisende), Latvian government brochure, ca. 1937—Latvia sought to regain its pre-WWI stature as a tourist destination—its Gauja river valley having been known as the "Livonian Switzerland." The brochure features sights, activities, a brief history of Latvia, and information for German tourists.
  • Latvian Signs
    An Children's ABC of Latvian Signs     (LATVIAN, Latvju Rakstu Ābecīte), Latviešu Bērnu Draudzības Savienība, 1939—A child's primer on the basics of Latvian ornaments and examples of how more complex forms are then constructed. Facsimile.
The above-illustrated Hotel Segewold (Sigulda), 1921, destroyed in WWI.
Latvian dairy cows. Pre-WWI Latvia’s industry was all destroyed, sabotaged, or evacuated to Russia, leaving agriculture as the only path to economic development. The transition to agrarian economy was completed with the Latvian Land Reform of 1920↗ which broke up the centuries-old sprawling Baltic-German baronial manors into homesteader farms.

World War II, 1939-1945
During World War II, Latvia was caught between two totalitarian regimes. In 1940, it was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, although Hitler begged to disagree with that interpretation. Thus, in 1941, Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Latvia, leading to the Holocaust and persecution of many Latvians. The Soviets reoccupied Latvia in 1944, reinstating harsh repression. Throughout the war, Latvians were conscripted into both Soviet and German forces, and the country suffered massive loss of life, displacement, and devastation.
  • Molotov–Ribbentrop PactMolotov–Ribbentrop Pact, 1939—Text of the secret protocol carving up Eastern Europe between Stalin and Hitler.
  • The First Months of the WarThe First Months of the War, Mr. Munters Speaks at the University, Latvian Economic Review, No. 2 (18) April 1940, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 1940—Foreign Minister Vilhelms Munters' speech at the University of Latvia, asking, infamously : "I should like to ask, where now is the sovietisation against which we were warned...?"
  • Letters on Birch BarkLetters On Birch Bark from Siberia (1941-1956) (LATVIAN, Sibīrijas vēstules uz bērza tāss (1941-1956)), UNESCO, 1992—Birch bark was often the only material to write on. Background on deportations, gallery of letters and their writers' stories.
  • Soviet War News
    The Soviet Union, Finland, and the Baltic States    , Soviet War News, Soviet Information Bureau, 1941—In a monograph published after the Winter War and toward the end of its first occupation of the Baltic states, the Soviet Union blames the Finns and Balts for their troubles, only the Soviets have consistently engaged in "neighbourly relations," rebuffed by its neighbors at every turn. A classic study in Stalinist propaganda and a version of history still familiar in official Russian rhetoric.
  • These Names AccuseThese Names Accuse—Nominal List of Latvians Deported to Soviet Russia in 1940-41, Second edition with supplementary list, Latvian National Foundation, Stockholm, 1982 (list, 1942)—History leading up to and including the Soviet invasion of the Baltics, the first Soviet occupation, and the first mass deportations of 1941. The originally compiled list of names was published in Riga in 1942. Documents, photographs, partial list of names. Introductory page includes links to searchable databases of the deported.
  • A Shepherd Died
    A Shepherd Died     (LATVIAN, Viens gans nomira), 1942—A miniature folk song booklet published by Tautas Palīdzība (Peoples' Welfare) in war-time Latvia and given out for donations to help the orphaned and widowed, illustrated by a popular Latvian pre-war and post-war diaspora artist—and who dated Peters's father while they studied together at the Academy of Art.
  • Baltic States as British Market
    The Baltic States as a British Market in the Past and Future    , Villibald Raud, The Women's Printing Society, 1943—Raud’s monograph frames the Baltic States as a counterintuitively — given their size — significant historical and projected post-WWII market for British industry. His study pulls together economic statistics across all three Baltic economies for a rare integrated portrait.
  • Polish–Soviet Break
    Behind the Polish–Soviet Break    , Alter Brody, introduced by Corliss Lamont, Soviet Russia Today, New York, 1943—After the Poles rightfully blamed the Katyn massacre on the Soviets, the USSR denounced (Molotov's letter, included) the accusation as a "Hitlerite slanderous fake." Within two weeks the USSR severed relations with the Polish Government-in-Exile. Beyond alleging Polish lies, Alter Brody's monograph goes on to characterize the Polish people as an ungrateful scourge upon history—portending the post-WWII portrayal of anti-Soviet Eastern European nationalists as fascists.
  • Latvian Central CommitteeLatvian Central Committee Memorandum, Riga, March 17, 1944 (LATVIAN, Latvijas Centrālās Padomes Memorands, Rīga, 1944. gada 17. marts), Konstantīns Čakste and Fēlikss Cielēns, 1944—The underground Latvian Central Council, headed by Konstantīns Čakste, petitions Inspector General of the Latvian Legion Rudolfs Bangerskis to work toward restoring Latvian sovereignty.
  • Nazi Occupation in 1943Latvia Under German Occupation in 1943, Alfreds Bīlmanis (uncredited), Latvian Legation, Washington, DC, 1944—The Latvian diplomatic corps reports on Latvia's third year under Nazi occupation, recounting still-fresh events.
  • What Latvia Wishes?What Latvia Wishes From This War?, Alfreds Bīlmanis, Latvian Legation, Washington DC, 1944—As head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry's press division, Alfreds Bīlmanis (1887-1948) actively promoted independent Latvia's interests abroad. His war-time monograph, subtitled: "Background, Current Situation, Hopes for the Future"—written while there was still hope for Latvia's post-war freedom—dispels still-prevalent misunderstandings regarding the historical inter-relationships of the Baltics, Europe, and Russia.
  • 1945 Literary Almanac
    1945 Literary Almanac     (LATVIAN, Literatūras Gada Grāmata), E. Damburs, ed., VAPP Fine Literature Publisher, 1945—Still at war, Latvian Communists serving the Soviet cause declare literary Russification an enrichment of Latvian culture. Full facsimile and selected translations.
  • Zedelgem POW CampZedelgem POW Camp 2227, 1945—Latvians whose only "crime" was to fight to free their homeland after multiple invasions are called Nazis and shot as target practice. Today, official Russia and others invested in the "Latvians are Nazis" meme keep the lie alive.
Rubble removal, Rīga, 1944.

Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Latvia, 1940
During the Nazi occupation of Latvia (1941–1944), approximately 70,000–75,000 Latvian Jews—over 90% of the prewar Jewish population—were murdered in the Holocaust. The Germans immediately organized mass shootings, carried out by Einsatzgruppen units and local collaborators. Notable massacre sites include Rumbula (25,000 dead) and Bikernieki forests near Riga. In addition to Latvian Jews, thousands of Jews deported from Central Europe were also killed in Latvia.

Life in post-WWII DP camps, 1944–1951
Escape from the re-invading Red Army meant a treacherous voyage across the Baltic to Sweden or down the Baltic or overland to occupied Poland, then westward as the Soviets advanced to what became the French, British, and American zones after the war, and half a decade living in one or more Displaced Persons camps.
  • Anna Apinis' loom
    Anna Apinis' Latvian weaving loom    , 1946 and following—The story of the building of Anna Apinis' loom in the Memmingen post-WWII DP camp and her lifelong mission to preserve the tradition of Latvian weaving, with a video by her daughter Anita Apinis-Herman.
  • Esslingen DP campAn UNRRA Assembly Centre, Esslingen o/Neckar, Feliks Krusa, Latvian News, Esslingen am Neckar, September, 1946—UNRRA sponsored booklet describing all aspects of DP camp life at Esslingen. Introduction by René Pinczon du Sel, Director UNRRA Assembly Centre Esslingen. Digitized and facsimile.
  • Summer Scenes
    Latvia II, Summer Scenes     (LATVIAN, LATVIJA II, Vasaras Skati), A. Grapmanis, Jaunā Vārda Apgāds, 1946—Album of nine plates of photographs with captions in Latvian and English
  • 1947 Exiles' Calendar
    1947 Latvian Exile's Calendar     (LATVIAN, Latviesu Trimdinieka Kalendars 1947), J. Grīnblats, Fürth, 1946—Complete facsimile with poetry translations. Published during the post-WWII Displaced Persons camps era.
  • Junker's DP CampJunkers DP Camp Kassel-Bettenhausen, D. F. McGonigal, UNRRA, 1947—Original report, includes photographs and other exhibits; produced by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
  • Skalbe's Collected Works
    Skalbe's Collected Works, Volume One     (LATVIAN, Skalbe—Kopoti Raksti), Auseklis, Stuttgart, authorized by UNRRA, 1947—Excerpted and translated poetry.
  • Fischbach Song Day
    Fischbach Song Day, June 27, 1948     (LATVIAN, Pirmo Latvieši vispārejo Dziesmu svētku 75 gadu atceres Dziesmu diena, Fišbachā pie Nirnbergas, 1948. gada 27. jūnijā), Kārlis Puriņš, Viktors Puriņš, 1948—Latvians in the Displaced Persons camps of Fischbach and Märzfeld in Nuremberg and environs gather to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the very first Latvian Song Festival (in 1873, in Rīga, with over 1,000 singers participating). Photo album of 24 pictures, with foreword by composer and Fischbach DP camp elder Jēkabs Poruks.
  • European Unification and LatviaThe European Unification Movement and Us (LATVIAN, Eiropas apvienošanas kustība un mēs), Modris Gulbis, Latvian Association for a "European Union", 1948—Gulbis makes the case that a European Union must be created to ensure the future welfare of the European continent and Latvia.
  • "Answer for Anne"
    "Answer for Anne" and Valka Displaced Persons Camp    , Lutheran World Action, National Lutheran Council, 1949—"Answer for Anne," a film which follows high-school teen Anne as she researches why America must welcome WWII refugees and documents the life of Latvian refugees in Valka DP Camp who yearn for a new home.
  • Anna Dārziņa Post Cards
    Latvian folk costumes, Anna Dāŗziņa    , Esslingen DP Camp, Jānis Liepiņš, ca. 1949—Illustrations of Latvian folk costumes. Set of 18 postcards.
  • Latvian Kitchen
    The Latvian and Modern Kitchen     (LATVIAN, Latviskā un Modernā Virtuve), Fischbach Latvian Committee Literary Publisher, 1949—Traditional Latvian recipes, excerpts and translations for pīrāgi, galerts, and kotletes, published at the Fischbach DP Camp, Germany.
Junker’s Displaced Persons Camp, entrance gate.

Soviet era, 1944/5–1991
After the Nazi Germans came and went, the Russians started up where they left off. The Soviet regime carried out widespread political repression to suppress resistance and consolidate control. Tens of thousands of Latvians were arrested, executed, or deported to labor camps in Siberia, especially during mass deportations in 1949. The Soviet authorities targeted former independence-era officials, intellectuals, nationalists, and anyone suspected of opposing Soviet rule. Forced collectivization of agriculture, suppression of religion, Russification policies, and censorship further eroded Latvian identity and culture. Despite the repression, underground resistance movements persisted, and the memory of Soviet atrocities played a key role in Latvia's eventual push for independence.
  • Folk Costume Fold-Outs
    Soviet era folk costume foldouts     (LATVIAN, Tautas tērpi), Latvian State Publishing House, ca. 1958—Collection of women's and men's folk costume Soviet era souvenir fold-outs, depicting costumes from various regions of Latvia and including descriptions in French, English, Russian, and Latvian.
  • Soviet Estonia
    Estonia, Wonderful Present—Marvellous Future    , Aleksei Müürisepp, Soviet Booklets, London, 1959—Career apparatchik and then soon-to-be 5th Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR Aleksey Aleksandrovich Myurisepp waxes eloquently of life under the U.S.S.R., one of a series of propaganda booklets produced about each of the fifteen Soviet Republics.
  • Soviet Latvia
    Latvia—Our Dream is Coming True    , Vilis Lācis, Soviet Booklets, London, 1959—Popular author during Latvia's pre-WWII independence and Soviet sympathizer signing deportation orders sending families to frosty death, Vilis Lācis writes of the materialization of Latvian dreams under the U.S.S.R., one of a series of propaganda booklets produced about each of the fifteen Soviet Republics.
  • Along Latvia's Roads
    Along Latvia's Roads     (LATVIAN, Pa Latvijas Ceļiem), J. Opmanis, Liesma, ca. 1960—Soviet era postcards reminiscent of America's contemporaneous "See the USA in your Chevrolet" ad campaign which ran from 1952 to 1963.
  • Soviet Rīga
    Rīga / Рига / Riga / Riika / ريغا Granovsky Album    , Naum Granovsky, Foreign Language Publishing House, Moscow, ca. 1960—Soviet fold-out of color and colorized post-card sized images of Rīga. Captioned in eight languages, extolling the benefits, virtues, and accomplishments of Soviet rule.
  • Latvia and the LatviansAttitudes of the Major Soviet Nationalities, Latvia and the Latvians, Frederic T. Harned, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973—Part of a wider set of detailed studies on all the peoples of the Soviet Union. The study was a project of M.I.T.'s Center for International Studies.
  • Soviet AggressionSoviet Aggression Against the Baltic States, Augusts Rumpēters, The World Federation of Free Latvians, New York, 1974—Augusts Rumpēters (1899–1978) served in the Supreme Court Senate of the Republic of Latvia. His cogent and superbly annotated dissertation provides pertinent counterpoint to those who continue to insist the Baltics joined the USSR willingly and legally.
  • How Stalin Got the BalticsHow Stalin Got the Baltic States—The Search for Historical Truth, Vilnis V. Šveics, 1989—Professor Vilnis V. Šveics' concise and revelatory monograph on the descent of the Baltic states into Soviet domination conclusively documents that the image of France, Britain, and the United States as champions of Baltic independence is a post-WWII fiction.
“New apartment houses in Agenskalna Priedes district”—Russification brings Soviet prefabricated including the sidewalks apartment blocs and Russian colonists.

Post-WWII diaspora, 1950's onward
Latvian folk-pattern inspired vase, created in exile circa 1953, from Peters’ father’s collection.

Restoration and the 21st century
Timeline of Latvian historyReference materialsEntire library by eraCultural artifactsHistorical imagesDP camp eraPreserving heritageThrough Soviet eyes
Book reviewsWords as culture
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