The Karaims in Latvia through the end of World War II : status and research perspectives

The first mentions of Karaims in Riga, the current capital of Latvia, are from the 17th century. At the end of that century, Karaim Salomon ben Aron from Pasvalys lectured on Karaim history and religion in one of the city's schools. However, it was not until the end of the 19th century that the Karaims settled permanently in Latvia. In Riga itself, unlike in other regions, they were influential and well known, although their numbers never exceeded 100. The most distinguished among them were the Majkapar family. In the 1880s, they established a tobacco factory, and later a sweets factory and a Karaim cemetery. The history of this family alone is worth separate discussion. Yet there were also other eminent Karaim families in Riga, such as the Penerdży, Pandulo, and Sultan families. Their prosperity was put to a brutal end during World War II. By the end of the war, the Latvian Karaims had completely dispersed.