Resurrecting Memory : Uncovering the History of Jungfernhof Concentration Camp Barracks Using Ground Penetrating Radar in Riga, Latvia

Abstract

Ten kilometers outside Riga, a city located on the northern coast of Latvia, stands a public park that may seem mundane, but beneath the surface lies a dark past. Today the site is known as Mazjumpramuizha Park, but it was once the location of the Jungfernhof concentration camp during WWII. while there is one interpretive sign that acknowledges this history, it does not tell the full story and even locals remain unaware of what happened here. This silenced history is the focus of my research project, which aims to locate the prisoner barracks that once stood on the site and have been described by survivor testimonies. To accomplish this, I worked alongside a team commissioned by The Jews of Latvia Museum, utilizing ground penetrating radar— a non-invasive scanning technology that transmits electromagnetic pulses into the subsurface—to reveal what lies beneath. In conjunction with a Topcon-RL-H4C self-leveling laser to determine ground elevation, our team unearthed evidence of the camp’s barracks, including barbwire and the building’s rock foundation. For survivors, our findings provide evidence to help bring closure and launch memorial efforts via the creation of a steel monument inscribed with the victims’ names known as the Locker of Memory.