Jānis Sūna's memories of the time spent in the Grieze filtration camp
Lawyer Jānis Sūna has published his memories of his time in the Grieze filtration camp in his autobiographical book.
We were taken by truck and landed behind Saldus. Next we had to walk to the lake, where we were parked near the Grieze church in the meadow, on the bank of the Venta. Several hundred men were concentrated there: refugees from other parts of Latvia, local residents of Kurzeme, and also Red Army soldiers who had been taken prisoner and employed in the homes of local farmers. The Chekists had called in officers from different parts of the army as helpers. I had the impression that the interrogation was repeated. I personally had to write an explanation several times to check the veracity of my statements.
It took about three weeks for me to be released. Lying on the bare ground, the islands and warming ourselves by the campfire. We lay on the branches in the holes we dug ourselves. The nights were cool. I remember that once my coat I was covering was frosted white.
Saldus Zeme, 26.10.2021
Among the laws of the five powers: The memories of Jānis Sūna are a unique source of history. Although they were written almost half a century ago, the current relevance of this manuscript is striking. At a time when passions around "Czech bags" are on fire in the local community, Soviet-era myths about the events of World War II are collapsing, including the true role and significance of the Salaspils concentration camp. These memories not only provide unique information to historians, but also make any reader survive the situations in which the publicly active lawyer Jānis Sūna inadvertently found himself. In the context of Latvia's centenary, the information provided by the author about 1917, the time when the idea of an independent Latvian state was really born, is very important. Memories are deliberately not much edited, preserving the author's style and handwriting. It is worth noting that it was very daring to write something during the heyday of such a Soviet occupation - the 1970s. If the manuscript got into the wrong hands, it would be a big trouble not only for the writer himself, but also for his whole family.
Related timeline
Related objects
Red Army prisoner filtration camp in Grieze and Grieze Church
Grieze is located at the Latvian-Lithuanian border, where the Vadakste River flows into the Venta River. The Grieze church was built in 1580, but the parish existed before 1567. The church was rebuilt several times - in 1769, in 1845 and in 1773 the first organ was installed. Both the altarpiece and the two bells have been lost for various reasons.
In the church garden there is a cemetery where people belonging to the church and noblemen are buried. One of them is Grieze organist Friedrich Baris and his wife Charlotte, who have a...
Ezere local history repository “Muitas Nams” (Customs House)
The Ezere Customs House is located in Ezere near the Saldus-Mažeikiai highway at the Latvian-Lithuanian border. The act of surrender of the German Army units ‘Kurzeme’ (Kurland) surrounded in the so-called ‘Courland Pocket’ was signed in this building on 8 May 1945. It is believed that World War II actually ended in Ezere. The customs house has an exhibit covering the events of the end of World War II and exhibits detailing the history of Ezere parish from ancient to modern days. In the morning of 7 May 1945, the commander of the Leningrad Front, Marshal L. Govorov, sent an ultimatum to the command of the army group ‘Kurzeme’ to lay down arms. The act of surrender was signed by the involved parties on May 8 and it detailed the procedure of surrender...
