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Jānis (Žanis) Lipke was a Latvian rescuer of Jews in Riga during World War II.
In the yard that is the end point of the tiny street, an underground bunker had been dug out. That is where Žanis Lipke had made a hiding place for people saved from the Jewish ghetto.
During the Second World War eight to twelve people used this 3x3 meter hole in the ground as a shelter, often for long periods of time.
It is important to stress that the German police never found this shelter, Lipke was never caught and none of the people involved was ever betrayed.
http://www.lipke.lv/index.php?m=memorials&l=en
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Originated from a small fishermen village, for centuries Riga has been an important part of the trade chain between Russia and Western Europe. A lively crossroad of cultures and backgrounds for over 800 years, the historical centre of Riga has accumulated an impressive cultural baggage and today is justly included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list.