THE EXHIBITION BIKERNIEKI – FOREST OF THE DEAD LIST OF MEMBER CITIES founding members (23rd May 2000): , , , Düsseldorf, , Hannover, Kassel, Köln, Leipzig, Münster, Nürnberg (incl. Bamberg, Bayreuth, Coburg, Fürth, Würzburg), Osnabrück, Stuttgart

further member cities: Bocholt, , Lübeck, Wien, , Steinfurt, Warendorf, Paderborn, Dresden, Billerbeck, Vreden, Coesfeld, , Gelsenkirchen, , , Gütersloh, , Marl, Viersen, , Moers, Marburg, Bünde, Stadtlohn, Dülmen, Drensteinfurt, Ahlen, Werne, Gescher, Mainbernheim, Krefeld, Rheine, Telgte, Herten, Ahaus, Südlohn

symbolical members: Brno, Prague / Praha, , Terezín

CONTACT Deutsches Riga-Komitee / German Riga Committee phone: +49 (0)30 / 23 09 36 - 47 fax: +49 (0)30 / 23 09 36 - 99 [email protected] GERMAN coordination & contact: Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. Thomas Rey M. A. RIGA COMMITTEE Main Office Commemorative Culture and Networking Lützowufer 1 D – 10785 Berlin

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORK donation account Commerzbank Kassel: IBAN DE23 5204 0021 0322 2999 00 – BIC COBADEFFXXX reason for transfer: You can download a pdf of the “donation Riga-Komitee / collection number 145” touring exhibition (16 pieces) here: www.riga-komitee.de. The exhibition can be ordered via www.riga-komitee.de email to [email protected]. WAR CEMETERY IN MEMORY AND MEMORIAL SITE OF THE VICTIMS RIGA-BIKERNIEKI

The committee’s first ­mission tations from started. was to build a worthy war At the inauguration 21 bronze cemetery and memorial site shells with lists of names for the victims. This was were immured into the shrine 3 achieved in cooperation with of names. The member cities’ the ­Latvian partner organization names are written on stones of of the Volksbund, the Brethren polished granite, placed on the // 3 Cemetery Committee and the memorial site. Young German and Latvian participants during the municipality of Riga. The Central The maintenance of the commemorative event on July 9th, 2010 at the Council of Jews in Germany and memorial by Latvian and central memorial place in the “Initiative Riga” – ­founded German young people allows Riga-Bikernieki. photo: Uwe Zucchi last century – supported the close relations as well as a lively // 4 project. The cenotaph on exchange of memories between traces of the former ghetto in Riga: faded inscription the central memorial site is Riga and those German cities “KÖLNER STR.” ( surrounded by fields of granite where the deportations started. Street) on a rusted metal sheet, July 2010 stones. They symbolize the Memorial main entrance: photo: Axel Vogel 1 victims crouching before their Bikernieku iela, 1001 Riga, 4 imminent execution. Latvia. GPS data: 56°57’52.12”N, On 23rd of May 2000 the Federal than 25 000 Jewish citizens The memorial in the Biker­ 24°12’42.28”E. President Johannes Rau – ex ­deported to Riga in 1941/1942 nieki wood was inaugurated officio patron of the Volksbund from their home cities; most of November 30th in 2001, 60 years REMEMBERANCE Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge them murdered in the woods after the “Riga Blood Sunday” AND ENCOUNTER (German War Graves Commis- of Bikernieki. The German Riga and 60 years after the depor- sion) – welcomed representa- Committee also feels connect- tives of 13 German major cities. ed to the more than 26 000 Together with the president of Latvian Jewish victims of the How can we keep alive the Coordination of the German the Volksbund they founded the Riga ghetto, murdered on the memory of the Jewish victims Riga Committee “German Riga Committee” in “Riga Blood Sunday” and the of National Socialism for the The Volksbund coordinates the presence of representatives days after in Rumbula in order generations to come? The the activities, initiating regular of the cities Riga and Vienna. to coop up the people deported activities of commemoration meetings, symposia and Ing. Erich Herzl’s “Initiative Riga” from the German Reich. Today and education of the German exchanges via international from Vienna has given a strong the German Riga Committee Riga Committee continuously workcamps and joint com- impulse for that. has 55 members and applica- offer occasions and impulses memorative journeys. The The Geman Riga Committee tions pending. in German municipalities and focus of the Riga committees’ is an association of towns and in Riga. work is to trace the multiple municipalities. Its purpose is to narratives as well as historical keep alive the memory of more complexity in order to contrib- 2 ute to international under- standing in today’s Europe. // 1 “These stones are like an outcry of the innocent people // 2  inquiries: killed here and let you see that A forest trail, the “trail of // title the whole place was a scene death”, leads the visitors from [email protected] side view of the shrine of of executions.” the central memorial place to  more information names (Sergejs Rizs) the particular mass graves. photo: Volksbund photo: Volksbund photo: Sergejs Rizs www.riga-komitee.de