“Latvian Beehive for Freedom” monument and plaque to the Latvian Legion, a unit in the Waffen-SS in Zedelgem, Belgium Image by Traces of War

(JTA) — A Belgian town is removing from a local square most of its references to a group of Latvian soldiers who were part of Nazi Germany’s SS forces, following allegations that the square honored them.

Briviba Square in Zedelgem, a small town 70 miles west of Antwerp, contained a statue of and a plaque about the “Latvian Beehive,” hundreds of Latvian prisoners of war who were interred briefly at a POW camp in the village following World War II. They were part of the 15th and 19th Waffen Grenadier Divisions, which were under the administration of the Nazis.

City council members in Zedelgem supported commemorating the soldiers held at the POW camp, giving the project the green light in 2018. It created controversy largely thanks to coverage by Lev Golinkin, a Jewish journalist and author who wrote about the subject in the Forward.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The square will get a new name and its plaque will be removed. But as of now the statue will remain.

Annick Vermeulen, the mayor of Zedelgem, said any offense caused was unintentional.

Many Latvians admire the “Beehive” for their efforts in fighting Russia. Latvia’s capital Riga has its own Briviba Square, and veterans of the local former SS units hold annuals marches through the city. Protests against the march also occur annually by locals who view it as a glorification of war criminals.

—
The post After controversy, Belgian town square to remove references to Latvian Nazi collaborators appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount