Monument to Victims of the Christmas Battles in Pienava
Memorial site
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Located in Tukums region, on the side of the A9 highway, approximately a kilometer after Pienava in the direction of Liepāja.
The memorial is located on the site of the Third Battle of Courland, or the Christmas Battle, in 1944. At the end of World War II, a unique situation had developed in the territory of Latvia. There were German army forces in Courland, which the Red Army tried to eliminate or prevent from being involved in battles in East Prussia or around Berlin. “Courland Fortress” is the most common term used to describe the battles in Courland from 1944 to 1945. The “Courland Battle” was the German army’s military operations to repel the Red Army’s massive attacks. Latvian legionnaires also actively participated in the battles in Courland.
Today, you can visit the memorial site. The open fields of the area, without the oldest buildings, are witnesses to the war.
Used sources and references:
Latvian soldier during World War II. Daugava Hawks Central Board Publication, Volume 5. 1977.
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