Bikernieki Memorial

Bikernieki Memorial is built in memory of the victims of the Holocaust of World War II. It is the biggest mass murder site of Latvia, with over 55 marked mass burial sites and about 46,000 reported to have been killed. The site was constructed largely due to the efforts of the German War Graves Commission with the help of local Latvian organisations and the efforts of civilians from various German cities. The architect Sergey Rizh dedicated fifteen years on the design of the memorial. It is made up of various forest passageways as well as many plaques to explain the history of the site.
At the centre lies a symbolic altar with the biblical quote in German, Russian, Latvian and Hebrew, “Earth, don’t cover my blood. Let my cry have no place to rest.” The remaining site is filled with 4,000 granite stones to resemble a traditional Jewish cemetery. Each stone is covered with European city names to represent the home towns of the victims. Stars of David represent the fallen Jews while Crown of Thorns represent war prisoners killed and Christian crosses represent fallen civilians. The site, a beautiful location, is an essential spot to understand the history of Latvia.