Fort Daugavpils (Stalag 340)

Between 1941 and 1944, the Daugavpils fortress housed the POW camp 'Stalag 340'. Because of the terrible living conditions, the camp was nicknamed as 'the death camp'. More than 124,000 Soviet prisoners of war perished in this camp due to hunger, sickness or executions. To cover up their crimes, the Germans gathered up al the remaining prisoners, locked them up inside the Fortress' cathedral and blew them up with TNT.

The fort today:
It can be visited. There is a memorial plaquette in memory of a famous Sovjet poet and resistance fighter Musa Cälil, who was imprisoned in Stalag 340.

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Source

• Text: Kaj Metz
• Photos: Alma Pater