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Latvian Legion
The Latvian Legion ( lv, Latviešu leģions) was a formation of the German Waffen-SS during World War II. Created in 1943, it consisted primarily of ethnic Latvian personnel.Gerhard P. Bassler, ''Alfred Valdmanis and the politics of survival'', 2000, p150 Mirdza Kate Baltais, ''The Latvian Legion in documents'', 1999, p14 The legion consisted of two divisions of the Waffen-SS: the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian), and the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian). The 15th Division was administratively subordinated to the VI SS Corps, but operationally it was in reserve or at the disposal of the XXXXIII Army Corps, 16th Army, Army Group North. The 19th Division held out in the Courland Pocket until May 1945, the close of World War II, when it was among the last of Nazi Germany's forces to surrender. Creation The Latvian Legion was created in January 1943 on the orders of Adolf Hitler following a request by Heinrich Himmler, the head of the S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Riga Cathedral
Riga Cathedral ( lv, Rīgas Doms; german: Dom zu Riga) formally The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, is the Evangelical Lutheran cathedral in Riga, Latvia. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Riga. The cathedral is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Latvia, and is featured in or the subject of paintings, photographs and television travelogues. Like all of the oldest churches of the city, it is known for its weathercock. The church is commonly called the Dome Cathedral, a tautology as the word 'Dome' comes from the German ''Dom'' meaning 'cathedral'. History and architecture The church was built near the River Daugava in 1211 by Livonian Bishop Albert of Riga, who came from Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany. It is considered the largest medieval church in the Baltic states. It has undergone many modifications in the course of its history. David Caspari was rector of the cathedral school in the late 17th century. His son Georg Caspari also served at the cathedral. F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch
Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch (12 June 1888 – 29 January 1971) was a German SS and police (Ordnungspolizei) official during the Nazi era, who served on the personal staff of Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS. During World War II, he commanded the SS Division Polizei, VI SS Army Corps (Latvian) and the IX SS Mountain Corps of the Waffen-SS; he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Career Born in 1888, Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch joined the army in 1907 and served in World War I. He joined the German General Staff, and served as a military attaché to the German military mission in Constantinople and as a staff officer with the 11th Infantry Division. At the end of the war, he remained on the General staff of the ZBV 55 and XXIV reserve corps. In August 1919 Pfeffer-Wildenbruch joined the police service and spent time in the Reich Ministry of the Interior. He became the police commander in Osnabrück and Magdeburg. In 1928 he went to Santiago de Chile, to s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
VI SS Corps
VI SS Army Corps (Latvian) or VI. SS-Freiwilligen-Armeekorps (Lettisches) (German) was a unit of the Waffen SS during World War II. It was formed in October 1943, to command the Latvian Waffen SS divisions. It fought in the northern sector of the Eastern Front as part of the 18th Army. They were part of the Army Group North until early 1945, when it was subordinated to Army Group Kurland. In October 1944, they were encircled by the Red Army offensives and spent the remainder of the war in the Courland Pocket, until they surrendered to the Red Army at end of the war.Caballero p23 Commanders *Obergruppenführer Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch (8 Oct 1943 – 11 June 1944) *Obergruppenführer Friedrich Jeckeln (11 June 1944 – 21 July 1944) *Gruppenführer Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld (21 July 1944 – 25 July 1944) *Obergruppenführer Walther Krüger (25 July 1944 – 8 May 1945) Area of operations *Eastern Front, Northern Sector (October 1943 – September 1944) *Latvia (Septemb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latvian People
Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common Latvian language, Latvian culture, culture and History of Latvia, history. History A Balto-Finnic languages, Balto-Finnic-speaking tribe known as the Livonian people, Livs settled among the Latvians and modulated the name to "Latvis", meaning "forest-clearers", which is how medieval Germany, German, Teutons, Teutonic settlers also referred to these peoples. The Germanic peoples, Germanic settlers referred to the natives as "Letts" and the nation to "Lettland", naming their colony Livonia or Livland. The Latin form, ''Livonia'', gradually referred to the whole territory of modern-day Latvia as well as southern Estonia, which had fallen under a minimal Germanic influence. Latvians and Lithuanians are the only surviving members of the Baltic Bal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waffen-SS
The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. The grew from three regiments to over 38 division (military), divisions during World War II, and served alongside the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army (''Heer''), ''Ordnungspolizei'' (uniformed police) and other security units. Originally, it was under the control of the (SS operational command office) beneath Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS. With the start of World War II, tactical control was exercised by the (OKW, "High Command of the Armed Forces"), with some units being subordinated to (Command Staff Reichsführer-SS) directly under Himmler's control. Initially, in keeping with the racial policy of Nazi Germany, membership was open only to people of Germanic origin (so-called "Nazi racial theor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vilis Janums
Vilis Janums (7 January 1894 – 6 August 1981) was a Latvian officer in the First World War and later also in the Second World War. He was awarded with the Order of Three Stars (IV class), Order of Viesturs and German Cross (in gold). Early life Vilis Janums was born on 7 January 1894 in Code parish, Courland Governorate. His father was a mason. He studied in a Bauska city school and graduated shortly before the First World War. First World War In October 1914 Janums was mobilized in the Russian imperial army. He served in artillery units. In 1916 he graduated from the school of the praporshchiks in Orianenbaum and was transferred to the 198th reserve infantry regiment. In April 1916 he was transferred to Latvian riflemen reserve regiment where he was a junior officer. Since February 1917 he served in the 4th Vidzeme Latvian riflemen regiment where he was a junior officer in a machine-gun unit. Together with his unit he participated in the Battle of Jugla. In Febru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Augusts Apsītis-Apse
Augusts is a Latvian masculine given name, a cognate of the name August, and may refer to: *Augusts Annuss (1893–1984), Latvian painter *Augusts Kepke (1886–19??), Latvian cyclist *Augusts Kirhenšteins (1872–1963), Latvian microbiologist and educator *Augusts Malvess (1878–1951), Latvian architect *Augusts Strautmanis (1907–1990), Latvian chess master *Augusts Voss Augusts Voss ( rus, Август Эдуардович Восс; 30 October 1919, Saltykovo – 10 February 1994, Moscow) was a Soviet politician of Latvian people, Latvian origin and party functionary. Before World War II he worked as a school t ... (1919–1994), Latvian-Soviet politician and party functionary References {{given name Latvian masculine given names ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Voldemārs Skaistlauks
Voldemārs is a Latvian masculine given name. It is a cognate of the Germanic "Waldemar". Voldemārs may refer to: * Voldemārs Elmūts (1910–1966), Latvian basketball player * Voldemārs Lūsis (born 1974), Latvian athlete, javelin thrower, Olympic competitor * Voldemārs Mežgailis (1912-1998), Latvian chess master *Voldemārs Ozols (1884-1949), Latvian military commander, military theorist and politician *Voldemārs Plade (1900-????), Latvian football forward and football manager * Voldemārs Reinholds (1903-1986), Latvian Waffen SS soldier * Voldemārs Sudmalis (1922-1990,) Latvian football defender * Voldemārs Veiss (1899-1944), Latvian soldier and Nazi collaborator * Voldemārs Vītols (1911–1980), Latvian middle-distance runner *Voldemārs Zāmuēls Voldemārs Zāmuēls (22 May 1872, in Dzērbene parish, Latvia (then Russian Empire) – 16 January 1948, in Ravensburg, Germany (in then French occupation zone)) was a Latvian politician. He held the office of the Prime ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arvīds Krīpens
Arvīds is a Latvian masculine given name and may refer to: * Arvīds Bārda (1901–1940), Latvian footballer * Arvīds Brastiņš (1893–1984), Latvian sculptor, writer and neopagan leader * Arvīds Brēdermanis (1900–1970), Latvian official and founder of the Latvian Scouting movement *Arvīds Immermanis (1912–1947), Latvian cyclist and Olympic competitor * Arvīds Jansons (1914–1984,) Latvian conductor *Arvīds Jurgens (1905–1955), Latvian footballer, ice hockey, basketball and bandy player * Arvīds Ķibilds (1895–1980), Latvian track and field athlete * Arvīds Ozols-Bernē (1888–19??), Latvian track and field athlete *Arvīds Pelše Arvīds Pelše (russian: А́рвид Я́нович Пе́льше, Arvid Yanovich Pelshe; – 29 May 1983) was a Latvian Soviet politician, functionary, and historian. Career Pelše was born into a peasant family, in "Mazie" farm near Zāl ... (1899–1983), Latvian Soviet politician, functionary, and historian * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Voldemārs Veiss
__NOTOC__ Voldemārs Veiss (7 November 1899 – 17 April 1944) was a Latvian officer and prominent Nazi collaborator, who served in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany. When Riga, the capital of Latvia, fell to the Wehrmacht on 1 July 1941, the Germans began forming self-defence and police forces. Veiss was appointed the commander of such a Self Defence organization. On 20 July the Nazis disbanded this organization and ordered the formation of auxiliary police forces instead, with Lt. Col. Veiss being appointed Chief of the Latvian Auxiliary Police. At the end of 1941, he became First Deputy Director General of the Director General of the Interior when the Latvian Self-Administration was reorganized. As early as autumn 1941 Latvian auxiliary police units, temporarily attached to the Wehrmacht, were first used in front line duties. This occasional employment continued until the 2nd Latvian Brigade was formed from six Latvian battalions, four of which had combat experience. At the en ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kārlis Lobe
Kārlis Lobe (26 March 1895 – 9 July 1985) was a Latvian officer in the Imperial Russian Army, Latvian Army and the Latvian Legion, recipient of the Order of the Three Stars. Biography Kārlis Lobe was born in "Janēni" homestead in Jaunpiebalga parish, Cēsis district. He graduated the Piebalga congregation school, and in 1914 an agricultural school in the vicinity of Pskov. World War I In 1916 he graduated from military academy and joined the 2. Riga Latvian Riflemen Regiment, where he commanded a company in the Christmas Battles of 1916/1917. In 1918, after the October Revolution, Lobe joined the Army of Kolchak, and later commanded the Latvian Imanta Regiment founded in Vladivostok, with which he intended to return to Latvia to join the War of Independence. Latvian Army Lobe returned to Riga in 1920 and joined the Latvian Army. From 1921 he was a lecturer at the Military academy, at the rank of a captain. In 1932 Lobe graduated from the Higher Military Academy cour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rūdolfs Bangerskis
Rūdolfs is a Latvian masculine given name, a cognate of the English given name Rudolph and may refer to: *Rūdolfs Balcers (born 1997), Latvian ice hockey player * Rūdolfs Bārda (1903–1991), Latvian footballer * Rūdolfs Baumanis (1909–1998), Latvian sports shooter *Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1863–1908), Latvian writer, journalist and playwright * Rūdolfs Gaitars (1907–1945), Latvian military ''Waffen-Obersturmführer'' in the ''Waffen SS'' during World War II *Rūdolfs Jurciņš Rūdolfs Jurciņš (19 June 1909 – 22 July 1948) was a Latvian basketball player. He played as a Center (basketball), center. Career Jurciņš won a gold medal at the EuroBasket 1935, 1935 EuroBasket competition, becoming first European champi ... (1909–1948), Latvian basketball center and Olympic competitor * Rūdolfs Kociņš (1907-1990), Latvian military leader, one of the principal commanders of Battle of More * Rūdolfs Kundrāts (1904–????), Latvian football defender * Rūdolfs Ron ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
