Old Jewish cemetery, former cemetery in Riga, Latvia
The Old Jewish cemetery is a burial ground in Riga that is now used as a park, located near Maskavas Street and Ebreju Street. The high brick walls have been removed and most grave markers taken away, though memorial stones with the Star of David and Hebrew inscriptions mark the site today.
The cemetery was established in 1725 after the Jewish community received permission to bury their dead in Riga rather than transport them over 40 kilometers away. During Nazi occupation, the site became part of the Riga Ghetto and suffered severe destruction, while Soviet authorities dismantled the graves after the war and converted the land into a park in 1960.
The site carries the name of the Jewish faith and served as a place where families honored their dead according to their traditions. Today visitors walk through the park and encounter inscriptions in Hebrew and English that connect them to the community that once gathered here.
The park is freely accessible and best explored on foot, as pathways wind through green spaces with memorial stones located at different points throughout the site. Visitors should allow time to read inscriptions and walk through the various areas where memorials are placed.
The site has been marked since 1994 by two different memorial stones, one created by sculptor Uldis Streģis and standing on Maskavas Street side. Another stone from 2007 on Ebreju Street bears inscriptions in English and Hebrew, helping visitors understand the hidden history of this place.
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