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Jānis Lipke | |
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| Born | (1900-02-01)1 February 1900 |
| Died | 14 May 1987(1987-05-14) (aged 87) |
| Resting place | Forest Cemetery, Riga |
| Other names | Žanis Lipke |
| Occupation | Dock worker |
| Known for | Saving Jews during the Holocaust |
| Spouse | Johana Lipke |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Righteous Among the Nations |
| Righteous Among the Nations |
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Jānis Lipke (alsoŽanis andJan Lipke; 1 February 1900,Mitau – 14 May 1987,Riga) was a Latvian rescuer of Jews in Riga in World War II fromthe Holocaust in Latvia.
Lipke, a dock worker in the port of Riga, was determined to help saveLatvian Jews from capture by theNazis after witnessing actions against them in the streets. He retrained in order to become a contractor for theLuftwaffe, and then used his position to smuggle Jewish workers out of theRiga ghetto and camps in and around Riga, whom he concealed with the aid of his wife Johanna until the arrival of theRed Army in October 1944.[1] The Lipkes and their various helpers saved forty people in this way, one-fifth of the approximately 200 Jews who survived the war in Latvia.
When Lipke died in 1987, the Jews of Riga arranged his funeral.
Yad Vashem honored Lipke and his wife asRighteous Among the Nations on 28 June 1966.[2]
On 4 July 2007, the day of remembrance of the victims of genocide against the Jewish nation, a monument commemorating those who saved Latvian Jews, in particular Lipke, was unveiled atRiga's Great Choral Synagogue.[3]
TheŽanis Lipke Memorial is located on the island ofĶīpsala in Riga, at 9 Mazais Balasta dambis. It was built next to Lipke's home, where he had arranged a shelter for rescued Jews.
The 2018 Latvian filmThe Mover portrays the efforts of Lipke and his wife to rescue Jews.[4]
