2 Sitio(s) de ejecución
Arturs S., born in 1927: "Before the shooting, Jewish men, women, and children were gathered and held in the synagogue in Jaunjelgava for less than a month. During that time, they were forced to wear yellow stars on both their chests and backs. Later, they were taken to be executed in the forest near Totēni [Totanu], about 1 km from Sērene and roughly 0.5 km from the main road. The massacre took place in the afternoon. I remember seeing the group—men, women, and children—being marched to the killing site in a single large column. I watched them pass from my house. Not long afterward, I heard gunshots, though it wasn’t the rapid fire of automatic weapons. When I returned to school that September, none of the Jewish children were there anymore." (Testimony N°YIU4LV, interviewed in Sērene, on October 9, 2018)
" […] I remember clearly that on one Friday in July—though I can’t say the exact date—a group of Jewish men, about 30 to 35 in total, was marched under heavy guard past my house toward the nearby forest. I recognized them as Jews by the stars sewn onto their backs—the Germans forced all Jews to wear such signs. At the time, I thought they were being taken to collect firewood. But by evening, it became clear they had been forced to dig pits—and after that, they were shot. The sound of gunfire echoed from the forest, and none of them returned.
The following morning, trucks began transporting the remaining Jews from Jaunjelgava to the same forested area. I clearly remember seeing elderly men with gray hair and infants among them. Soon after the first truck passed, the gunfire began again. It lasted until around noon, and then everything fell silent. The entire area of the forest where the shootings occurred was sealed off and patrolled.
About a week later, I went to the site where the massacre had taken place. I found many spent shell casings, a board that may have been used to spread lime, and the clear outline of a large pit—about 10 by 2 meters. It was evident the victims had been thrown in there. Nearby, I found a metal frame that neighbors later identified as part of an explosive device, suggesting the Germans may have used explosive bullets during the executions.
I want to add this: in all my life, I have never witnessed such cruelty as that committed by the German executioners during the occupation of Latvia. After what I saw and heard, my health has never recovered. No human being could calmly witness the cold-blooded killing of infants and old men with silver hair. Death and damnation to the cursed executioners." [Deposition of Sparinskis Emilia Reinovna, born in 1889, resident of the "Ozoli" estate of the Sērene Parish, given to the State Extraordinary Soviet Commission (ChGK) on January 17, 1945; GARF 7021-93-2400/Copy USHMM RG.22-002M; p. 265]
Sērene is located approximately 10 km (6.2 miles) southeast of Jaunjelgava. According to the 1935 census, only eight Jewish residents lived in Sērene. In contrast, a thriving Jewish community existed in nearby Jaunjelgava, where 561 Jews were recorded that same year. The Jewish population of Jaunjelgava was primarily engaged in commerce, artisanal trades, and various service professions.
Sērene was occupied by German forces at the end of June 1941. Soon after, a new local administration was established, including the formation of a Latvian Self-Defense squad.
In July and August 1941, the Beku Pine Forest near Sērene became the site of mass executions of Jews from nearby Jaunjelgava. These killings were carried out during two major Aktions by the Latvian SD unit known as the Arājs Commando, with assistance from the local Self-Defense squad and police.
The first Aktion took place on July 11, 1941, resulting in the execution of between 65 and 80 Jews, along with 20 Soviet activists. While Soviet archives locate the site near the Totanu cemetery, most other sources—including the findings of the Yahad - In Unum investigation—point to a location near the Ozoli farm (estate).
The second Aktion, conducted on August 2 or 7, 1941, led to the murder of the remaining 430 members of Jaunjelgava’s Jewish community. This mass execution is believed to have taken place near the Totanu cemetery.
Nora S., born in 1932 and interviewed by Yahad, recalled seeing a group of Jewish men brought to the site to dig a pit before being executed later that same day. The following day, she witnessed a large column of Jews being marched under guard from Jaunjelgava to the same location. On the third day, she saw a truck carrying Jewish children to the site. She remembered hearing gunfire for three consecutive days.
With the help of local witnesses, the Yahad team was able to identify the two execution sites in the Beku Pine Forest. In the years following the war, the victims’ remains were exhumed from both sites and reburied in the Jewish cemetery in Jaunjelgava. Today, a monument stands at the reburial site, commemorating "More than 500 Jews of Jaunjelgava killed on August 7, 1941."
For further details about the mass murder of Jews in Jaunjelgava, please refer to the corresponding profile.
¿Tiene información adicional con respecto a un pueblo que le gustaría compartir con Yahad?
Por favor contáctenos a contact@yahadinunum.org
o llamando a Yahad – In Unum at +33 (0) 1 53 20 13 17