Towns of Kurzeme and Zemgale (Courland)
The towns listed on this page are currently located in Kurzeme or Zemgale, formerly Courland gubernia. If the notation "N/A" appears after Kehilalinks or Yizkor Book, there is an opportunity to create a Kehilalinks page and/or sponsor (or volunteer to do) a yizkor book translation. There is additional information about the area on the old Courland Research Group website. The group is now dormant, and over time, we expect to migrate pertinent sections of the site and its data (some of which is already part of the JewishGen Latvia Database) under the JewishGen Latvia Research Division umbrella. If a town has a cemetery indexed in the JewishGen Online Burial Registry (JOWBR), it is linked to the description, and can be searched via a JOWBR database search. External cemetery websites for the town are also linked, if applicable.
Aizpute/Hasenpot/Hasenpoth
Alternate names: Aizpute [Latv], Hasenpoth [Ger], Gazenpot [Rus], Haznpot [Yid], Hazenpot [Pol], Aizputė [Lith], Hasenpot, Hosenpoth, Hoznpol, Aispute, Ayzpute, Asimpute
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]
Town Leader - N/A
Bauska/Bausk - Zemgale
Alternate names: Bauska [Latv], Bausk [Rus], Bauske [Ger], Boisk [Yid], Bauskė [Lith], Bowsk [Pol], Bosko, Bausken, Boysk
Yizkor Book - N/A
Town Leader - N/A
Grīva/Griwa
Alternate names: Grīva [Latv], Griva [Rus], Grive [Yid], Griwa [Ger], Gryva [Lith], Grzywka [Pol]
Kehilalinks - N/A
Yizkor Book - N/A
Town Leader - N/A
Grobina/Grobin
Alternate names: Grobiņa [Latv], Grobin [Yid, Rus, Ger, Pol], Gruobinia [Lith], Grobinya, Gerobin
Kehilalinks - N/A
Cemeteries - N/A
Yizkor Book - N/A
Town Leader - N/A
Ilūkste/Illuxt - Zemgale
Alternate names: Ilūkste [Latv], Illukst [Rus], Ilukst [Yid], Illuxt [Ger], Ilūkšta [Lith], Iłłukszta [Pol], Alukste, Alukst, Ilokest, Ilukstes
Kehilalinks - N/A
Cemeteries - N/A
Yizkor Book - N/A
Town Leader - N/A
Jaunjelgava/Friedrichstadt
Alternate names: Jaunjelgava [Latv], Friedrichstadt [Ger], Fridrikhshtadt [Rus], Frydrychsztat [Pol], Naira [Yid], Nairi, Neyra, Jaun-Yelgava, Yaunelgava, Jauna-Jelgawa, Jaunijelgaua, Jaunijelgava, Jaunjelgavas
Kehilalinks - see the website Jaunjelgava 1800-1941
Cemeteries - see Jaunjelgava Cemetery Database
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]; essay by Victor Schatz, There Was a City; also, a new book published by V. Schatz.
Town Leader - N/A
Jēkabpils/Jakobstadt - Zemgale
Alternate names: Jēkabpils [Latv], Jakobstadt [Ger], Iakobshtadt [Rus], Yakovshtat [Yid], Jekabpilis [Lith], Jakobsztat [Pol], Yekabpils, Jekobpils, Yakabpils, Krustpils, Kreuzburg
Yizkor Book - N/A
Town Leader - Arlene Beare
Jelgava/Mitau - Zemgale
Alternate names: Jelgava [Latv], Mitava [Rus], Mitau [Ger], Mitav [Yid], Mitawa [Pol], Mintauja [Lith], Yelgava, Jelgawa, Iyelgava, Elgava
Kehilalinks - see the website Jaunjelgava 1800-1941
Cemeteries - see Jaunjelgava Cemetery Database
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]
Town Leader - N/A
Kandava/Kandau
Alternate names: Kandava [Latv], Kandau [Ger], Kandoi [Yid], Kandawa [Pol], Kāndav
Kehilalinks - N/A
Cemeteries - N/A
Yizkor Book - N/A
Town Leader - N/A
Kuldiga/Goldingen
Alternate names: Kuldīga [Latv], Goldingen [Ger], Golding [Yid], Kuldyga [Lith], Goldynga [Pol], Kuldīgas
Yizkor Book - memorial website - The Holocaust in Kuldīga, Latvia - A Microhistory
Town Leader - N/A
Liepāja/Libau
Alternate names: Liepāja [Latv], Libau [Ger], Libava [Rus], Libave [Yid], Liepoja [Lith], Lipawa [Pol], Libawa, Liboi, Libova, Liboya, Liebau
Kehilalinks - see also the website of the Liepaja Jewish Heritage Foundation.
Cemeteries - See Liepāja Jewish Cemetery Burials, 1909-1941
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]; also A Town Named Libau
Town Leader - N/A
Essay - "Reminiscences of Liepāja - A Three-day Trip to My Mother’sTown," by Rita Bogdanova
Piltene/Pilten
Alternate names: Piltene [Latv], Pilten [Rus, Ger], Piltenė [Lith], Piltyń [Pol]
Kehilalinks - N/A
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]
Town Leader - N/A
Sabile/Zabeln
Alternate names: Sabile [Latv], Zabeln [Ger], Shaviln [Yid], Zabel'n [Rus], Sabilė [Lith], Cabeln [Pol], Zoebeln, Zabbel'n
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]
Town Leader - Betsy Thal Gephart
Saldus/Frauenburg
Alternate names: Sabile [Latv], Zabeln [Ger], Shaviln [Yid], Zabel'n [Rus], Sabilė [Lith], Cabeln [Pol], Zoebeln, Zabbel'n
Kehilalinks - N/A
Yizkor Book - N/A
Town Leader - N/A
Skaistkalne/Schoenberg
Alternate names: Skaistkalne [Latv], Shenberg [Rus], Schönberg [Ger], Shimberg [Yid], Skaistkalnė [Lith], Skaystkalne, Skaistkalnes, Myasto Skaystkalne, Šenberga, Schoenberg, Skaitskalne
Kehilalinks - N/A
Yizkor Book - N/A
Town Leader - N/A
Subate/Shubitz/Subbat
Alternate names: Subate [Latv], Subbath [Ger], Shuvitz [Yid], Subocz [Pol], Subatė [Lith], Subata, Shovits, Shubotch, Sovits, Subatas, Subbat
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]; also a chapter on Subate from Memorial Book of Rokiskis (Lithuania)
Town Leader - N/A
Talsi/Talsen
Alternate names: Talsi [Latv], Talsen [Ger, Pol], Talsn [Yid], Tal'sen' [Rus], Talsai [Lith], Talsin, Tilsen, Telsy, Talsy, Tālsa
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]
Town Leader - Betsy Thal Gephart
Tukums/Tuckum - Zemgale
Alternate names: Tukums [Latv], Tuckum [Ger], Tukkum [Rus, Pol], Tukum [Yid], Tukumas [Lith], Tuchume, Tukkums
Kehilalinks - N/A
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]
Town Leader - N/A
Valdemārpils/Sassmacken
Alternate names: Valdemārpils [Latv, since 1926], Sasmaka [Latv, until 1926], Saßmacken [Ger], Shasmaken [Yid], Sasmaken [Rus, Pol], Valdemarpilis [Lith], Sasmacken, Sassmacken
Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]
Town Leader - Betsy Thal Gephart
Ventspils/Windau
Alternate names: Ventspils [Latv], Windau [Ger], Vindava [Rus], Vindoi [Yid], Windawa [Pol], Ventspilis [Lith], Vindavi [Est], Wentspils, Vindau
Kehilalinks - N/A
Cemeteries - 2 cemeteries: Ventspils Jewish Cemetery and Windau Jewish Cemetery
Yizkor Book - N/A
Town Leader - N/A
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