Brivais Laveitis, April 15, 1949

              FREE LATVIAN L A T V I A N N A T I O N A L N E V V S P A P E R F O R N O R T H A M E R I CA
PUBLISFfER; K o N R A P S POBELIS E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F ; A L E K S A N D R S K U N D R A TS
OF LATVIA BEHIND
jTEe U.y.ö.K, Ueputy Forei|n
L>Wishinsky is appearing on the balcöny of
Uhe U.S.S.R. Embassy i n R i g a to review the
' demonstration of the Latvian people driven
into streets by force. A similar form of
greeting was customary i n anöther well-known
totalitarian State, too.
In his address Wishinsky declares: "He is
a provocatpr who talks about the anhexa-tion
of Latvia by the Soviet Union."
But ho\y long?
THE IRON CURTAIN
/Ih 'pri5on?ttier?^r^5eSH
possible neither to stand nor to lie down. Those cells canj
be filled with hot vapour, or again air can be suck
out of them, as the case requires.
Situation during the Second Soviet Occupation of Latvia (from
October 1944).
A.
1.
Destrnction of Churches and Persecution of Clergynien.
T h e a d v a n c i n g S o v i e t t r o o p s , lli i kk e t h
r e t r e a t i n g G e r m a n f o r c e S , d i d n o t s p a r e
c h u r c h e s a n d c e m e t e r i e s.
ä. In July 1944 Soviet artillery destroys three Lutheran churches in
the city of Jelgava.
b. In April and September 1944 Soviet airplanes bombed churches in
Gulbene, Rezekne, Ludza and Lugazi.
In September 1944 Soviet troops put f ire to the churches i n Gramzda,
Priekule and Barta.
In October 1944 the Riga Cathedral and the Forest Cemeteryare
severely damaged by artillery f ire.
T h e f o 11 o w i n g c1 e r g y m e n w e r e a r r e s t e d
a n d k i l l e d d u r i n g t h e S o v i e t a d v a n ce
i n t o L a t v i a i n t h e s u m m e r of 1 9 4 4:
a Dean J . Reinhards, of the Jelgava-Bauska deanery. and J . Meders.
Pastor of Jekabpils were murdered in July 1944. Treics. Pastor of
Rauna, and the Dean of tho Valka district, A. Kronbcrgs,
mysterious circumstances in October 1944.
b; The pastor of Lestene was arrested in July 1944.
thk execution place, he succeeled in escaping and
refuge in the American zone of Germany.
c. Deputy Dean of the Latgale deanery was death-sentenced in contu-maciam
i n August 1944. He succeeded in escaping and is no\v in
the American zone of Germany.
c.
d.
2.
died
When taken to
has now found
B.
1.
Emigration, Deportation and Arrests of Pastors and Members of
Congregations.
p r e s s u r e e x e r c i s e d b V t h e G e r-d
t h e G e r m a n o c c u p a t i o n
o r d e r t ö e s c a p e a s e c o n d
1 a r g e n u m b e r of L a t-
V i a n s 1 e f t t h e i r co u n t r y
f A n NKvi) employee ä wbman^
\tear of f the nails of the prisoners.
U n de r t h e
m a n t r o o p s a n
a u t h o r i t i e s a n d i n
S o v i e t o c c u p a t i o n, a 1 a r g
c o U h t r y d u r i n g t h e w a r.
at Riga Central Prison whö
f he folIowing figures may be given with respect to the emigrants:
aa. Germany and Austria 150,000
bb. Sweden 5,500
cc. Denmark 1,900
F o r m e r L a t v i a n s o l d i e r s a n d c i v i 1 i a n s w e rc
s e g r e g a t e d i n s p e c i a 1 c o n t r o 1 c a m p s. P e r-s
o n s "d e e m e d u n r e 1 i a b 1 e f r o m t h e S o v i et
V i e w p o i n t w e r e d e p o r t e d to R u s s i a o r
a r. r e s t e d. T h i s. t o o k p 1 a c e i n t h e p r o v i n c es
o f V i d z e m e a n d L a t g a i e d u r i n g t h e w a r a n d
i n o t he r a r e a s of L a t v i a a f t e r t h e c e s s a t i on
o f m i l i t a r y o p e r a t i o n s .
Of the 96 Lutheran clergymen who remained in Latvia
aa. 10 were deported to Soviet Russian labour camps (1 murdered
in 1946)
bb. 4 were imprisoned in Latvia (two of them have died)
cc. 10 have died; moreover, 3 of those deported in 1941 had died
by 1948.
dd. 6 are missing.
In the period 1945—1948, 50,000 Latvians have been deported to
Soviet Russia. Young boys and girls, down to the age of 16, have
been sent to the sorcalled factory schools (FRA).
NonrLatvians are being sent to Latvia to take the place of the de-portees.
Liquidation of the Official Church Administration and Restoration
of the 19JtO—Ifl System.
T h e a e t u a 1 r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f t h e L a t v i a n
L u t h e r a n C h u r c h w h o s t a y e d i n L a t v i a . at
t h e r e q u e s t of t h e L a t v i a n 1 e g a i A r c h-b
i s h o p a n d t h e S u p r e m e B o a r d o f t h e C h u r ch
h a V e b e e n d i s c h a r g e d a n d a r r e s t e d. M a n a g e r s
o f t h e L u t h e r a n C h u r c h, a c t i n g u n d e r t he
c o n t r o l o f t h e S o v i e t o c c u p a t i o n a u t h o r i t i e s
h a v e b e e n a p p o i n t e d i n t h e i r p 1 a c e.
Dean K. Irbe, the arrested deputy of the Latvian Archbishop, has
been replaced by G. Turss, former pastor at Bauska, who'earlier had
been temporarily removed from office on account of moräl misde^
meanours.
Pastor A . Kaulins has been designated to succeed the arrested Deputy
Dean of the city of Riga, Pastor A . Silke.
Pastor P.Klepers has been designated to succeed the deported Dean
of the Riga district P. Rozenbergs.
A 11 l a w s w h i c h t h e S o v i e t o c c u p a t i o n
a u t h o r i t i e s i s s u e d 1 n 1 9 4 O—41 w i t h r e s p e c t
t o t h e n a t i o n a l / s a t i o n o f C h u r c h 1 a n d a n d
P r o p e r t y, a n d ^ ^ s t r i c t i o n o f C h u r c h r i g h t s,
h a V e b e e n r e irn tr o d u c e d.
The Soviet power hW-again taken over churches, parsonagös and
cemeteries for which it coUects excessive rentals from the congrega­tions,
failing, at the same time, to care for their repair and main-tenance.
• '"'V'
aa. Forty Lutheran churches were destroyed in Latvia during the
war. None häs been reconstructed. Eighty-two churches were
damaged. Funds for the repair bf the Riga Cathedral have
been raised by the congregation, but the State Mönument Board
has hitherto not granted a loan which i t had promisied. Likewise,
despite a promise, the historical St. Peter's Church ih Riga has
not been reconstructed. >
bb. A System of the sö-called class taxes has beien introduced. It
implies that low taxes are paid for property leased to the Soviet
State and members of the Communist party, and high taxes are
collected for property leased to other bodies or persons. The
congregations pay a rental of 1.50 rubles (1 ruble equal tö 1
Swiss franc) ä month for a square inetre of floor space.
Anti-religious propaganda and attacks against the Church servants
have been iritensified i n the schools, theatres, radio, press, etc.
aa. The Soviet Latvian schools have been given the task of training
"fighters for Communism"; Special cpurses. of "Darvinism" have
been arrahged for the teachers; and school holidays are fixed sö
that they should not coincide with Christian holidays (Christ-mas,
Easter, etc). V''
The Soviet Latvian author A . Grigulis häs vmtten a comedy
with an anti-religious tendency.
Special anti-religious broadcasts have been introduced in the
Riga radio; in these broadcasts religion is openly defiled as "a
superstitioui propagated by the Bourgeöis elements in prder to
fool the working people" (StateraenTby Soviet Latvian Minister
of Educationr, Strazdins/on Febniary 2, 1947), "spiritual poison
-opium" (Decenaber 29, 1946), "maiming of the human naind"
(August 25, 1945), and the pastors are called "lacqueys öf th<B
exploiting' classes" (December 6, 1947), "servants of the Bour­geöis
reaction" (July 15, 1948) etc.
bb.
cc.