Prof. Simeon Dubnov, famous Jewish historian, has been executed by the Nazis in the ghetto of Riga, Latvia, it was learned here today by the Federation of Jewish relief organizations.
The execution took place on December 1, 1941, the information received by the Federation reveals. The Jewish historian was 83 years old when he was murdered. Shortly before the outbreak of the war he was invited by Jewish organizations to come to the United States. At the last minute, however, he decided to decline the invitation and did not make use of the visa which was granted him by the American consulate in Riga.
Exactly a year ago today it was reported that Dubnov died “somewhere in Russia” where it was stated he was among the evacuees from the Nazi-held Baltic countries. The Russian authorities checked this report and informed Jewish organizations in England and America that no record could be found to indicate that he had retreated with the Russians prior to the Nazi occupation of Riga.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
