Žanis Lipke Memorial, Holocaust history museum in Ķīpsala district, Riga, Latvia.
The Žanis Lipke Memorial is a museum in Ķīpsala dedicated to stories of rescue during World War II. The building features a distinctive dark wooden structure resembling an overturned boat and holds exhibits about wartime resistance and humanitarian actions.
During World War II, Žanis Lipke, a Latvian woodworker, built an underground bunker beneath his woodshed. This allowed him to save dozens of Jewish people from persecution in Riga.
The memorial displays a modern sukkah with transparent walls that connect visitors to themes of shelter and survival. This installation illustrates how Jewish traditions relate to the experiences of people who sought refuge during wartime.
The museum is located on the island of Ķīpsala and is relatively easy to reach by public transport. It helps to check opening hours beforehand, as the site does not operate daily.
In the basement, visitors can explore an exact replica of the original bunker with nine built-in bunk beds and two concealed entrances. This reconstruction gives a direct sense of the cramped and difficult conditions in which people sought shelter during the war.
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