Rare photograph of a gathering of members of the Latvian antisemitic party Pērkonkrusts - "Thunder Cross" (in the background the swastika can be seen on the wall). Latvia, 1930s.
Pērkonkrusts "Thunder Cross" was an antisemitic Latvian party founded in 1933 by Gustavs Celmiņš, whose members collaborated with Nazi occupation forces and in the persecution of Jews in the Holocaust. Their slogan was "Latvia for Latvians! Work and bread for Latvians!". The party opposed legislation granting cultural autonomy to minorities and directed its propaganda against minorities supposedly dominating Latvia's entire economy - including Jews. Their manifesto stated: "Our belief, the meaning of our life, our goal is the Latvian nation: whoever opposes its welfare is our enemy... We believe the only place in the world where Latvians can settle is Latvia. Other peoples have their own countries". "Thunder Cross" is one of the names for the swastika in Latvian, and served as the organization's symbol. The group was banned by the Latvian government, numbering around 5000 members in 1934. When Germans invaded Latvia in late June 1941, many members joined them and participated in massacres of rural Jews.
9x14 cm. Very good condition. Divided back for use as a postcard.
