July 21, 2005

Joint Press Release

Estonia Holocaust Memorials to be Unveiled

Representatives of Estonia and the United States will dedicate memorials at the sites of labor camps in Estonia July 24th and 25th. Memorials near Klooga and Kivioli are the first to be installed at 20 German World War II labor camp sites in the country.

Estonia's President, Arnold Rüütel, and Cultural Minister, Raivo Palmaru, will participate in the dedication of the Klooga memorial. Justice Minister Rein Lang, Population and Ethnic Affairs Minister Paul-Eerik Rummo, and Members of Parliament also plan to attend the event. The ceremony at Klooga will be held July 24th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

U.S. Commission for the Preservation of American's Heritage Abroad Members Gary Lavine and Lee Seeman and Israeli Ambassador Shemi Zur will participate in both dedications. Leaders of the Jewish Community of Estonia and Holocaust survivors will also be present.

The memorials were built by the Jewish Community of Estonia in cooperation with the Estonian Ministry of Culture. They were funded by the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad with donated monies. The National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism and Britain's Holocaust Educational Trust were among the donors.

German World War II forces imported thousands of Jews from other European countries to work in the camps. From 1941 through1944, they also killed 1,000 Jews living in Estonia -- practically all who had not been able to escape the German occupation.

The U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad identifies sites in other countries that are associated with the heritage of U.S. citizens, obtains assurances from foreign governments that the properties will be protected and preserved, and seeks funding for preservation of sites. In January 2003, Estonia and the United States signed an agreement on the preservation of burial places, historic sites, monuments, and places of worship negotiated by the Commission and the Estonian Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs. For more information about the work of the Commission, see http://www.heritageabroad.gov.