The National Archives of Latvia has published a comprehensive biographical dictionary, “The Latvian Police, 1918–1940: Biographies of Senior and Middle-Ranking Officers." The book was compiled by Dr. Ēriks Jēkabsons and Dr. Valters Ščerbinskis.
The largest part of the publication consists of 426 biographies of senior and middle-ranking Latvian state police officers, gathering information on a largely previously unknown group of police officials. It covers the period from the establishment of the Latvian state to the liquidation of police institutions under the Soviet occupation in 1940. The biographies are based on personnel files held in the Latvian State Historical Archives of the National Archives of Latvia.
The publication features a scholarly introduction by Dr. Ē. Jēkabsons, providing insight into the structure of internal security organizations from the proclamation of the Latvian state in 1918 to its occupation in 1940. It highlights the essential role of police officers in stabilizing society across different historical periods. The introduction offers a comprehensive social profile of police officials, revealing their ethnic, social, and religious affiliation, educational level, and military and professional experience gained in the Russian Empire and during the War of Independence.
This publication not only allows readers to understand the specific nature of the activities of institutions responsible for maintaining order and preventing crime but also deepens and refines knowledge and understanding of the state apparatus and its functioning, providing information on social indicators and the situation in Latvian society.
The book is published in Latvian; a comprehensive summary is given in English.
This publication will serve as a valuable resource for anyone interested in the interwar history of Latvia and the structure of its internal security organizations.
The book can be purchased by contacting us:
e-mail: latvijas.arhivi@arhivi.gov.lv
phone: +371 29627830
Price: €16.16