Žanis Lipke Memorial Museum
The Žanis Lipke Memorial is a museum and memorial on the island of Ķīpsala in Riga, Latvia, honouring the Latvian dock worker Žanis Lipke who risked his life to shelter Jews from the Riga Ghetto during the Nazi occupation of World War II. Opened in 2012 beside his former home, the memorial is a rare site of conscience dedicated to a Righteous Among the Nations from the Baltic states.
At a glance
- Type
- Memorial museum · Holocaust memory and rescue history
- Period
- Events: 1941–1944; memorial opened 2012
- Style
- Contemporary memorial architecture; timber-framed pavilion
- Location
- Mazais Balasta dambis 9, Ķīpsala island, Riga, Latvia
- Coordinates
- 56.9540° N, 24.0846° E
Overview
Located on the quiet island of Ķīpsala on the left bank of the Daugava River, the Žanis Lipke Memorial commemorates one of the most remarkable acts of individual courage in Latvian history. Žanis Lipke (1900–1987) saved at least 55 Jewish people from certain death during the German occupation, hiding them in a bunker he constructed beneath his garden shed. The memorial opened in 2012 and stands next to the site of his original home, making it one of the most personally specific Holocaust memorials in the Baltic region.
History
Žanis Lipke worked as a labourers’ supervisor at the Riga harbour and used his position to forge work permits that allowed him to bring Jewish prisoners out of the ghetto under the guise of labour assignments. Between 1941 and 1944 he sheltered dozens of people in a concealed bunker beneath his property on Ķīpsala, working with a network of trusted helpers. After the war Lipke was largely forgotten outside Latvia; recognition came gradually, with Yad Vashem awarding him the title Righteous Among the Nations in 1977. The memorial museum was created to ensure this story is preserved and taught to future generations.
What you see
The memorial building, designed by architect Zaiga Gaile, is a striking contemporary timber structure inspired by the form of a shelter or ark. The interior exhibition uses photographs, personal documents, testimonies of survivors, and archival film to tell the story of Lipke’s rescue network. A recreation of the hiding space evokes the claustrophobic conditions endured by those sheltered. The outdoor setting on Ķīpsala, with views of the Daugava, adds to the contemplative atmosphere of the site.
Cultural significance
The Žanis Lipke Memorial is one of the most important sites of Holocaust memory in Latvia, a country where the vast majority of the pre-war Jewish community was murdered during the German occupation. The memorial reframes Latvian wartime history to highlight acts of rescue alongside the difficult collective history of collaboration. It has received international recognition as an outstanding example of sensitive and effective memorial museum design.
Practical information
- Address
- Mazais Balasta dambis 9, Ķīpsala, Riga LV-1048, Latvia
- Opening hours
- Check official website for current hours; closed on certain public holidays
- Admission
- Admission charged; check current rates on official website
- Website
- lipke.lv
Getting there
Ķīpsala island is connected to central Riga by the Vanšu Bridge (pedestrian access) and the Akmens Bridge. From the bridges it is approximately a 10-minute walk along the river embankment to the memorial. Tram lines 2 and 5 serve the left bank with stops near the island. A taxi or ride-hailing service from central Riga takes about 10 minutes.