Historian and museum founder Marģers Vestermanis dies at 100

Historian Marģers Vestermanis, founder and longtime director of the Jews in Latvia museum, has died at the age of 100, the museum announced, LSM reports.

Vestermanis was imprisoned in the Riga ghetto and survived the Holocaust. He devoted his life to researching the history of Latvia’s Jewish community and the Holocaust, preserving the memory of Jewish people and strengthening historical awareness in society.

He published books and academic articles on the history of Jews and the Holocaust in Latvia. From 1998 to 2019, he was a member of the Commission of Historians of Latvia, focusing particularly on documenting the history of Latvia’s Jews and researching the Holocaust.

Vestermanis was a recipient of the Order of the Three Stars and received a Cabinet of Ministers’ award for his lifelong contribution.

He was born in Riga on September 18, 1925.

President Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed his condolences to Vestermanis’ family and colleagues, praising his outstanding contribution to research and public education on Jewish history in Latvia and the Holocaust.