Our parents' generation was forced to flee into exile to escape the Soviet invasion of Latvia. Nothing matched the dread of, or hatred for, the Soviets, who had instituted a campaign of mass deporations» and outright murder during their first occupation, which came to be known as the Baigais Gads, the "Year of Terror."

The Nazi invasion interrupted that brutal occupation—one horror replaced by another. When the Germans retreated, a choice of one evil over the other was the only option to escape the coming Soviet onslaught. Many made it to the Baltic coast and escaped by boat from Liepaja—Peters' mom still remembers the bombshells dropping in the water all around them. Thousands made it across to Sweden. After the end of the war, about 200,000 made it to Displaced Persons (“DP”) camps in West Germany. Peter's parents had to flee twice. They had settled in eastern Germany, and then fled across Germany to the British Zone by bicycle as the Soviets advanced, sticking to back roads to keep from being shot.

And so began life as refugees for the better part of a decade. Latvians published their own periodicals in the DP camps, carried on their cultural life through art, crafts, literature, and music. Their hope for home had not yet dimmed—fleeing into exile, many, like Peters' godfather, had buried family valuables for their eventual return, never thinking that most of their generation would not live to see their homeland again.

As much as we identify with our Latvian roots—feeling at home in Latvia with our relatives, seeing the sights we learned about as children “growing up Latvian” in a country strange to our parents—the joy of being able to visit the land of our heritage can't erase the bittersweet knowledge that we should have been born and raised in a free Latvia. For our parents passed their pain of separation on to us—an unfathomable loss, real and palpable. But, more, they passed on the love of their country and their heritage.

These words of Janis Jaunsudrabins speak to the heart of the matter (our translation):

"Latvians, whatever lands you may come to,—proclaim the name of Latvia!

Never and nowhere in your life will you ever hear a more beautiful word than this word; whoever of you carries this word forth, shirk not, therefore, from spreading it far and wide; cease not to praise our country—Fathers, inculcate it into your children; mothers, sing of it by your children's and grandchildren's cribs; but, if you are a child born in exile,—relent not in ceaslessly interrogating your parents about this land. Let Latvia be in your thoughts and imaginings as a distant, beautiful island in the sea of the world; as you sail your course through life, always keep your bow pointing towards it. Day or night, dusk or dawn,—keep it in your thoughts, utter its name, fall in love it ever more passionately!"

While we can relate our own experiences "growing up Latvian" in a new country, we cannot truly tell of that journey into exile that preceded us—only bits that we've heard. And so we will try and portray our parents' and relatives' experiences through the books and papers and identity cards—the artifacts—they gathered and preserved.

To underscore the scope of the total (not just Latvian) refugee situation after the war, there were 90 camps in the British Zone, 93 camps in the American Zone, 24 camps in the French Zone, and 6 camps in Austria. The Latvian Central Committee was headquartered in Detmold, in the British Zone (northern West Germany).

• "These Names Accuse—Nominal List of Latvians Deported to Soviet Russia", the circumstances leading up to and including the Soviet occupation and deportations of 1940-1941 during the "Year of Terror" ("Baigais Gads" in Latvian), and list of those deported; second edition, pub. Stockholm, 1982
• Kolyma, the Land of Gold and Death, by Stanislaw J. Kowalski, a chilling and compelling first-hand story of the frozen wastelands of Siberia, superbly documented with facts and figures (link)

• "Latviesu Trimdinieka Kalendars 1947" (The Latvian Exile's Calendar 1947), complete facsimile [Latvian] and poetry translations; published in the D.P. camps, 1947
• "Kopoti Raksti" (Karlis Skalbe's Collected Works), excerpted and translated poetry, ca. 1947
• Folk Costumes (Anna Darzina postcards), pictures and details; published in the D.P. camps, ca. 1948
• "Latviska un Moderna Virtuve" (The Latvian and Modern Kitchen), traditional Latvian recipes, excerpts and translations; pub. Fischbach D.P. Camp, Germany, 1949