Memories of Kārlis Liberts about the day of the surrender of the German army in Ezere
The Ezere Cultural History and Local History Materials Repository "Customs House" is located in a historically significant building. On May 8, 1945, the act of capitulation of the Nazi German Army Group "Kurland", which was surrounded on the Kurzeme Front, was signed here.
Former Red Army soldier Kārlis Liberts shares his memories of the events of that day.
Karlis Liberts was a young Red Army soldier who had participated in the Christmas battles in the winter of 1944/45 and had been wounded. Karlis Liberts revealed in his diary that soldiers were humiliated by their superiors and that they had to be skillful in battle. His weapon was a rifle with a bayonet on the end and instead of a helmet, an earflap. He was tried in a military tribunal for the injury he sustained.
In his diary, Kārlis Liberts writes about the Customs House and its surroundings:
"The new house was the army headquarters. We had no weapons. We just slept day and night. So May 8, 1945, arrived. [..] An officer said that today the war would be decided in the Courland Cauldron. [..]
After a short time we heard a loud roar. Russian attack aircraft rushed over the lake towards Liepāja. I counted more than 17 aircraft. The Germans reportedly responded to the attack aircraft with fire. After the second wave they raised white flags.
The war is over."
Saldus zeme, 08.05.2015.
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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, weapons collection points, documents and information to be submitted and other practical measures.
