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

Kehilalinks

Cemeteries

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

Kehilalinks

Cemeteries

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

Cemeteries

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 - N/A

Cemeteries - N/A

Yizkor Book - Chapter translated from Pinkas Ha-Kehilot Latvia v'Estonia [Encyclopedia of JewishCommunities in Latvia and Estonia]

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

Kehilalinks

Cemeteries

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

Cemeteries

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

Kehilalinks

Cemeteries

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

Cemeteries

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

Kehilalinks

Cemeteries

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

Cemeteries

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

Cemeteries

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

Kehilalinks

Cemeteries

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

Kehilalinks

Cemeteries

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

Cemeteries

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

Kehilalinks

Cemeteries

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