After the entry of the Einsatzkommando into the Latvian capital[1] contact between Viktors Arājs and BrigadeführerWalter Stahlecker was established on 1 July 1941. Stahlecker instructed Arājs to set up a commando group that obtained the official name Latvian Auxiliary Security Police or Arajs Kommando.[2] The unit was composed of students and former officers of far-right wing orientation. All of the Arajs Kommando members were volunteers, and free to leave at any time.[2] The following day on 2 July, Stahlecker revealed to Arājs that his commando group had to unleash against the Jews a pogrom that looked spontaneous.[3]
Activities
The Arajs Kommando unit actively participated in a variety of Nazi atrocities, including the killing of Jews, Roma, and mental patients, as well as punitive actions and massacres of civilians along Latvia's eastern border with the Soviet Union.[2] The Kommando killed around 26,000 Jews in total.[4] Most notably, the unit took part in the mass execution of Jews in the Liepāja massacres. They also participated in the mass slaughter of Jews from the Riga Ghetto and several thousand Jews deported from Germany, in the Rumbula massacre of November 30 and December 8, 1941. Some of the commando's men also served as guards at the Salaspils concentration camp.[5]
As can be seen in contemporary Nazi newsreels, part of a documentation campaign to create the image that the Holocaust in the Baltics was a local, and not Nazi-directed activity, the Arajs Kommando figured prominently in the burning of Riga's Great (Choral) Synagogue on 4 July 1941. Commemoration of this event has been chosen for marking Holocaust Memorial Day in present-day Latvia.
The unit numbered about 300–500 men during the period that it participated in killings of the Latvian Jewish population, and reached up to 1,500 members at its peak at the height of its involvement in anti-partisan operations in 1942. In the final phases of the war, the unit was disbanded, and its personnel transferred to the Latvian Legion.
Prosecution
A total of 356 Arajs Kommando have been identified. Between 1944 and 1966, 352 of them were prosecuted by the Soviets, albeit one case was later suspended.[6]
Sentence
Number of those sentenced
Death
44 (30 executed)
25 years imprisonment with hard labor
156
20 years imprisonment with hard labor
36
15-18 years imprisonment with hard labor
43
15 years imprisonment with hard labor
10
10 years imprisonment with hard labor
76
Fourteen of the death sentences were never carried out since the Soviets temporarily abolished capital punishment between 1947 and 1949, thus saving the lives of the condemned convicts and more who went on trial during this period. The most frequently imposed sentence was 25 years in prison, with hard labor, plus forfeiture of civil rights for 5 years, plus forfeiture of all property. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Latvian courts rehabilitated more than 40 of those convicted despite overwhelming evidence in virtually all of the cases.[6][7]
After successfully hiding in West Germany for several decades after the war under an assumed name, Viktors Arājs was eventually identified by a former colleague, arrested, tried, and imprisoned for his crimes.
Herberts Cukurs, a deputy commander of the Arajs Kommado, was assassinated by the Israeli Mossad in 1965. While living in Brazil, Cukurs was befriended by a German-speaking Mossad agent, who lured him to Uruguay, where Cukurs was ambushed.
More recently, the governments of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia were involved in the attempt to extradite Konrāds Kalējs, a former officer of the Arajs Kommando,[8] to Latvia for trial on charges of genocide. Kalējs died in 2001 in Australia before the extradition could proceed, maintaining his innocence to the end, stating that he was fighting Russia on the Eastern Front or studying at university when the slaughter of Jews took place in 1941. Historian of the Latvian Holocaust Andrew Ezergailis estimated that about a third of the Arājs Kommando, 500 out of a maximum of around 1,500 total members, actively participated in the killings of Jews, and claimed that one cannot be convicted of crimes against humanity based solely on membership in an organization.[9]
References
^Breitman, Richard (Sep 1991). "Himmler and the 'Terrible Secret' among the Executioners". Journal of Contemporary History. 26 (3/4): 431–451. doi:10.1177/002200949102600305. JSTOR 260654. S2CID 159733077.
^Angrick, Andrej; Klein, Peter (2009). The "Final Solution" in Riga: Exploitation and Annihilation, 1941-1944. Volume 14 of Studies on War and Genocide. pp. 65–70. ISBN9781845456085.
^Andrew Ezergailis (1996). The Holocaust in Latvia, 1941-1944. Historical Institute of Latvia, Riga ; United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Washington, DC. OCLC 33403580.
^Strods, Heinrihs (2000). "Salaspils koncentrācijas nometne (1944. gada oktobris – 1944. gada septembris". Yearbook of the Occupation Museum of Latvia (in Latvian). 2000: 87–153. ISSN 1407-6330.
^ ab"THE HIDDEN AND FORBIDDEN HISTORY OF LATVIA UNDER SOVIET AND NAZI OCCUPATIONS 1940–1991". CiteSeerX10.1.1.693.6656. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^"Konrad Kalejs: Target for Nazi hunters". BBC News. 2000-01-03.
^Kalejs Not Necessarily Implicated, Reuters News Service, filed January 13, 2000, Canberra
Further reading
Lumans, Valdis O. (2006). Latvia in World War II. World War II—The Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension 11. New York: Fordham University Press. ISBN978-0-8232-2627-6. OCLC 64595899.
Angrick, Andrej; Klein, Peter (2006). Die "Endlösung" in Riga: Ausbeutung und Vernichtung 1941–1944 (in German). Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft. ISBN978-3-534-19149-9. OCLC 69983159.
March 14, 2023
arajs, kommando, also, sonderkommando, arajs, latvian, arāja, komanda, commander, nazi, collaborator, viktors, arājs, unit, latvian, auxiliary, police, german, lettische, hilfspolizei, subordinated, german, sicherheitsdienst, notorious, killing, unit, during, . The Arajs Kommando also Sonderkommando Arajs Latvian Araja komanda led by SS commander and Nazi collaborator Viktors Arajs was a unit of Latvian Auxiliary Police German Lettische Hilfspolizei subordinated to the German Sicherheitsdienst SD It was a notorious killing unit during the Holocaust Contents 1 Formation 2 Activities 3 Prosecution 4 References 5 Further readingFormation EditAfter the entry of the Einsatzkommando into the Latvian capital 1 contact between Viktors Arajs and Brigadefuhrer Walter Stahlecker was established on 1 July 1941 Stahlecker instructed Arajs to set up a commando group that obtained the official name Latvian Auxiliary Security Police or Arajs Kommando 2 The unit was composed of students and former officers of far right wing orientation All of the Arajs Kommando members were volunteers and free to leave at any time 2 The following day on 2 July Stahlecker revealed to Arajs that his commando group had to unleash against the Jews a pogrom that looked spontaneous 3 Activities EditThe Arajs Kommando unit actively participated in a variety of Nazi atrocities including the killing of Jews Roma and mental patients as well as punitive actions and massacres of civilians along Latvia s eastern border with the Soviet Union 2 The Kommando killed around 26 000 Jews in total 4 Most notably the unit took part in the mass execution of Jews in the Liepaja massacres They also participated in the mass slaughter of Jews from the Riga Ghetto and several thousand Jews deported from Germany in the Rumbula massacre of November 30 and December 8 1941 Some of the commando s men also served as guards at the Salaspils concentration camp 5 As can be seen in contemporary Nazi newsreels part of a documentation campaign to create the image that the Holocaust in the Baltics was a local and not Nazi directed activity the Arajs Kommando figured prominently in the burning of Riga s Great Choral Synagogue on 4 July 1941 Commemoration of this event has been chosen for marking Holocaust Memorial Day in present day Latvia The unit numbered about 300 500 men during the period that it participated in killings of the Latvian Jewish population and reached up to 1 500 members at its peak at the height of its involvement in anti partisan operations in 1942 In the final phases of the war the unit was disbanded and its personnel transferred to the Latvian Legion Prosecution EditA total of 356 Arajs Kommando have been identified Between 1944 and 1966 352 of them were prosecuted by the Soviets albeit one case was later suspended 6 Sentence Number of those sentencedDeath 44 30 executed 25 years imprisonment with hard labor 15620 years imprisonment with hard labor 3615 18 years imprisonment with hard labor 4315 years imprisonment with hard labor 1010 years imprisonment with hard labor 76Fourteen of the death sentences were never carried out since the Soviets temporarily abolished capital punishment between 1947 and 1949 thus saving the lives of the condemned convicts and more who went on trial during this period The most frequently imposed sentence was 25 years in prison with hard labor plus forfeiture of civil rights for 5 years plus forfeiture of all property After the fall of the Soviet Union Latvian courts rehabilitated more than 40 of those convicted despite overwhelming evidence in virtually all of the cases 6 7 After successfully hiding in West Germany for several decades after the war under an assumed name Viktors Arajs was eventually identified by a former colleague arrested tried and imprisoned for his crimes Herberts Cukurs a deputy commander of the Arajs Kommado was assassinated by the Israeli Mossad in 1965 While living in Brazil Cukurs was befriended by a German speaking Mossad agent who lured him to Uruguay where Cukurs was ambushed More recently the governments of Canada the United States the United Kingdom and Australia were involved in the attempt to extradite Konrads Kalejs a former officer of the Arajs Kommando 8 to Latvia for trial on charges of genocide Kalejs died in 2001 in Australia before the extradition could proceed maintaining his innocence to the end stating that he was fighting Russia on the Eastern Front or studying at university when the slaughter of Jews took place in 1941 Historian of the Latvian Holocaust Andrew Ezergailis estimated that about a third of the Arajs Kommando 500 out of a maximum of around 1 500 total members actively participated in the killings of Jews and claimed that one cannot be convicted of crimes against humanity based solely on membership in an organization 9 References Edit Breitman Richard Sep 1991 Himmler and the Terrible Secret among the Executioners Journal of Contemporary History 26 3 4 431 451 doi 10 1177 002200949102600305 JSTOR 260654 S2CID 159733077 a b c Ruth Bettina Birn and Volker Riess Revising the Holocaust The Historical Journal Vol 40 No 1 Mar 1997 pp 195 215 Published by Cambridge University Press Stable URL https www jstor org stable 3020959 Angrick Andrej Klein Peter 2009 The Final Solution in Riga Exploitation and Annihilation 1941 1944 Volume 14 of Studies on War and Genocide pp 65 70 ISBN 9781845456085 Andrew Ezergailis 1996 The Holocaust in Latvia 1941 1944 Historical Institute of Latvia Riga United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington DC OCLC 33403580 Strods Heinrihs 2000 Salaspils koncentracijas nometne 1944 gada oktobris 1944 gada septembris Yearbook of the Occupation Museum of Latvia in Latvian 2000 87 153 ISSN 1407 6330 a b THE HIDDEN AND FORBIDDEN HISTORY OF LATVIA UNDER SOVIET AND NAZI OCCUPATIONS 1940 1991 CiteSeerX 10 1 1 693 6656 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help BBC News EUROPE Latvia killers rehabilitated news bbc co uk Retrieved 2022 09 01 Konrad Kalejs Target for Nazi hunters BBC News 2000 01 03 Kalejs Not Necessarily Implicated Reuters News Service filed January 13 2000 CanberraFurther reading EditLumans Valdis O 2006 Latvia in World War II World War II The Global Human and Ethical Dimension 11 New York Fordham University Press ISBN 978 0 8232 2627 6 OCLC 64595899 Angrick Andrej Klein Peter 2006 Die Endlosung in Riga Ausbeutung und Vernichtung 1941 1944 in German Darmstadt Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft ISBN 978 3 534 19149 9 OCLC 69983159 Foreign Ministry of Latvia The Holocaust in German Occupied Latvia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arajs Kommando amp oldid 1142488726, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
