Established in October 1941, construction begun in November and disbanded in Oct of 1944 approximately 18 km southeast of Riga.

Officially it was called "Polezeigegfangnis und Arbeitserziehungslager" (Police Prison and Work Education Camp) and imprisoned many Latvians, Jews and political prisoners of different nationalities. It was never "officially" named as a concentration camp and always remained under the authority of the local police force. Many of the inmates labored in the area peat bogs, mining, chalk works and the continued expansion of the camp.

By the end of 1942 the Salaspils camp held mainly political prisoners (who had originally been incarcerated at the Riga central prison without due process under "protective custody orders") and interned foreigners such as Latvian returnees from Russia, whom the Nazis considered politically suspect. Furthermore work education prisoners and recruits to local Latvian collaboration units (Schutzmannschaften) who had committed routine crimes. There were in the camp only twelve Jews at the end of 1942, others had been returned to Riga or died.

Approximately 12,000 person went though the camp during it's existence and 2,000 to 3,000 died here.

It was also known as camp Kurtenhof after the German name for the city of Salaspils.

After the war the Soviet authorities left the camp as a memorial site and constructed huge stone statues.

There has been mention in certain circles of children having their blood drawn daily until they died and the blood used to treat German soldiers. This has not been proven and also the question of "would blood drawn from an "inferior race" be used in soldiers of the "master race"". Typhoid, measles and other diseases were rampant and the number of dead children is probably from this.

Getting there - bus No.18 from central station to the last stop - the final stop: Dârziòi-2. Take left fork which will bring you to a big motorway which has to be crossed. Take the road in front of you, the camp sign and a sign to Tildru cemetery is at the beginning of it. At the cemetery, the road splits, go left, over the railroad tracks and you will come to the memorial parking lot. About 2 km from bus to memorial.

Sept. 2013