In August 1940, Latvia was annexed to the USSR. Liepāja became one of the most important Baltic ports; thousands of Soviet troops and their families settled in the city, improving its economic situation. Before the Soviet occupation, during the leadership of the Ulmanis nationalists in Latvia, jobs in government factories and public offices had been closed to Jews. Now the Jewish residents could work in these positions, including in the city's bank and the municipal culture and health departments. Jews could also join the army and police force, and study at universities and other institutions of higher learning. As the standing of the Jews improved, however, the antisemitic fervor amid the Latvian Christian population escalated.
Liepaja, Latvia under Soviet rule, 1 May 1941. Standing left, saluting: Jascha Izakson, son of a Jewish father and a Latvian mother. Jascha's father was murdered in the Holocaust; Jascha survived.
Yad Vashem Photo Archives 13184/3
Holocaust Survivor Describes the Soviet Occupation of Liepāja in 1940
