In the northern Latvian town of Alūksne, a quiet transformation is underway at a site that once hummed with industrial activity. The former VEF factory territory, long marked by deterioration and neglect, is now being cleared and reimagined as a space for business development and public recreation. But the project carries a tension that resonates far beyond this small municipality: what happens when heritage protection collides with economic necessity?

Operate has intensified in early 2026 on the EU Regional Development Fund co-financed project, with demolition crews removing overgrown vegetation, crumbling infrastructure, and structures deemed beyond repair. The goal is straightforward on its face: clear the degraded buildings, install necessary utilities, and create accessible space for future enterprise. Yet the process has required difficult decisions about what to preserve and what to let go.

The factory building, once listed as “Barn, later Šlosa Factory” on Latvia’s state protected cultural monuments register, was removed from that list in 2025 by order of the Ministry of Culture. The National Heritage Board conducted a technical assessment and concluded that years of inadequate maintenance had left the structure in compromised condition. Multiple renovations over decades had altered the original stonework beyond recognition, and the remaining fragments no longer met the threshold for protected status.

Not everything will be demolished. The south and north walls of the original barn structure will be preserved and integrated into future development. A two-story building at Parka iela 2A will retain its original volume, with post-war additions removed and the façade restored. The former welding shop, once Šlosa garages, will be converted into an open-air recreation pavilion since most original architectural details were too damaged to salvage.

Balancing Preservation With Progress

The decision to delist the factory from protected status reflects a broader challenge facing municipalities across Europe. Heritage designation is meant to safeguard culturally significant structures, but it can also constrain redevelopment when buildings have fallen into irreversible disrepair. In Alūksne, officials determined that preserving fragments of the original walls offered a compromise between honoring the site’s history and enabling new economic activity.

The redevelopment plan includes new landscaping that will connect the former factory grounds with an existing square near the Alūksne Culture Center. A driveway will run from Brūža iela through the square and link to Parka iela, creating a unified green recreation zone. The area will feature new lighting, benches, waste bins, and planted trees, with most of the territory remaining open and unfenced except for a boundary near the Alūksnes enerģija boiler house.

Construction is being carried out by SIA “RUBATE” based on designs from SIA “NAMS,” with building supervision provided by SIA “Marčuks.” Sanita Adlere, project manager in the Development Department of Alūksne Municipality’s Central Administration, is overseeing the work. The project aims to create both business infrastructure and public space, reflecting a dual mandate that many small towns face: attract investment while improving quality of life for residents.

What This Means for Alūksne

For a municipality of Alūksne’s size, projects like this carry outsized importance. The town, located near the Estonian border with a population of roughly 7,500, depends on strategic investments to maintain economic vitality. Converting unused industrial land into functional business space could attract new enterprises, while the recreation zone offers immediate benefits to residents who gain access to improved public areas.

The timeline suggests work will continue through 2026, with demolition and infrastructure installation preceding final landscaping. Once complete, the site will no longer be fenced off from the community, a deliberate choice that signals a shift from closed industrial zone to open civic space.

What is being demolished versus preserved?

Most degraded structures are being removed, including basements, road surfaces, sports facilities, and perimeter fencing. The south and north walls of the original barn will be kept and integrated into future construction. The two-story building at Parka iela 2A will be preserved in its original volume with façade restoration.

Why was the factory removed from the heritage register?

The National Heritage Board determined in 2025 that the building no longer met protected monument criteria. Years of inadequate maintenance had compromised structural stability, and multiple renovations had altered or damaged original materials beyond the threshold required for heritage status.

Who is funding this project?

The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERAF) under the initiative “Construction of Infrastructure Necessary for Business Development in Alūksne Municipality.” Local contractors are executing the work under municipal oversight.

What happens to the site after construction?

The territory will serve dual purposes: business infrastructure for future enterprises and a public recreation zone with landscaping, lighting, and pedestrian areas. Most of the site will remain open and accessible without fencing, integrating with existing public spaces near the Culture Center.

As small towns across Europe weigh the costs of preservation against the demands of development, Alūksne’s approach may offer a template for others facing similar decisions. The question remains whether this balance between honoring the past and building for the future will deliver the economic and social benefits officials anticipate.

For decades, Ginette Kolinka carried a shield made of words. When strangers asked about the Nazi death camp she survived, she offered them a sentence sharp enough to cut off the conversation: “If I had a child, well, I would prefer to strangle them with my own hands than make them go through what I went through.” It was a defense mechanism forged in the smoke of Auschwitz-Birkenau, designed to protect the silence she kept for fifty years.

Today, at 101 years aged, that silence has been replaced by a different kind of armor. Kolinka has turn into one of France’s most vocal witnesses against antisemitism, traveling to schools and speaking to cameras with a generosity that contradicts the horrors she endured. Her shift from guarded survivor to public educator marks a critical juncture in Holocaust remembrance, occurring just as the generation capable of giving first-hand testimony disappears.

The transformation began not with a personal breakthrough, but with a film. Kolinka credits Steven Spielberg’s 1993 release of “Schindler’s List” as the catalyst that eventually led her to open the vault of her memories. Following the film, Spielberg’s foundation reached out to collect testimonies. Kolinka initially refused, telling them it would be a waste of time. It wasn’t until 1997, when an interviewer sat down with her, that the memories flowed for three uninterrupted hours.

That interview became part of a larger archive now holding more than 60,000 testimonies. For Kolinka, the process was less about public speaking and more about confronting the survivor’s guilt that had tormented her since 1945. She speaks of the goodbye kisses she never got to give her father, Léon, and her 12-year-old brother, Gilbert, before Nazi guards sent them to the gas chambers. In her 2019 memoir, “Return to Birkenau,” she wrote that for the first time, she felt compelled to suppose about it again.

The Weight of French Complicity

Kolinka’s public emergence coincided with a slow reckoning within France itself. During World War II, Nazi-occupied France deported 76,000 Jewish men, women, and children, mostly to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Only 2,500 survived. Yet, it took the French leadership half a century to officially acknowledge the state’s involvement in these deportations. In 1995, then-President Jacques Chirac described French complicity as an indelible stain on the nation, a acknowledgment that came too late for most of Kolinka’s contemporaries.

Now, the Paris-based Union of Auschwitz Deportees estimates that fewer than 30 French survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau remain alive. Kolinka stands as the most prominent among them, carrying a burden that is increasingly historical rather than personal. When she visits schools, such as the Marcelin Berthelot high school east of Paris, she is not just recounting history; she is handing over the responsibility of memory to teenagers who were not yet born when the war ended.

Becoming a Robot to Survive

During her recent school visits, Kolinka spares the students some of the graphic details, yet the abbreviated version remains difficult to hear. She describes being crammed into windowless animal-transport wagons in Paris and the violence that greeted them three days later at Auschwitz. The first German word she learned was “Schnell!”—”Move it!”—screamed by guards alongside barking dogs.

She tells the students about the forced stripping, a humiliation designed to break the spirit of a demure 19-year-old. She rolls up her left sleeve to show them the identification number 78599 tattooed on her forearm. “Some people’s numbers cover their entire arm,” she tells them. “But I have a nice little number.” It’s a moment of dark humor that underscores the dehumanization she endured.

To survive, Kolinka says she shut down her emotions. “I became a robot,” she told the pupils. She watched subsequent trains being unloaded, knowing those aboard would soon be dead, and focused entirely on staying alive. That emotional shutdown was necessary then, but its reversal—choosing to feel and speak again—is what defines her current mission.

The Rock-Star Witness

After her talks, students often gather around Kolinka, reluctant to let the encounter end. They describe her as “extraordinary” and “amazing,” drawn to her mental fortitude. For 17-year-old Nour Benguella, the experience was clear: “Keeping this history alive is the only thing that will permit us to not make the same mistakes.”

This reception highlights a growing urgency. As the number of living witnesses dwindles to a few dozen, the transmission of memory shifts from personal testimony to historical education. Kolinka’s willingness to endure the pain of recollection ensures that the lessons of the Holocaust are not reduced to abstract statistics. She forces her audience to confront the human stakes of murderous hatred, making it impossible for them to claim they did not realize.

Why did Kolinka decide to speak after decades of silence?

Kolinka credits the cultural impact of Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and the subsequent outreach from his foundation as the turning point. While initially reticent, she agreed to an interview in 1997 which led to her depositing her testimony in an archive that now holds over 60,000 accounts.

How many French Auschwitz survivors remain today?

According to the Paris-based Union of Auschwitz Deportees, there are fewer than 30 French survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau still alive. Kolinka is considered the most prominent remaining voice from that group.

When did France officially acknowledge its role in the Holocaust?

It took 50 years for France’s leadership to officially acknowledge state involvement. In 1995, President Jacques Chirac described French complicity in the deportations as an indelible stain on the nation.

What happens to Holocaust memory as survivors pass away?

As the survivor generation disappears, the responsibility for remembrance shifts to educational institutions and archival testimonies. Kolinka’s school visits represent an effort to bridge this gap by providing direct human connection before the window closes completely.

As we listen to Kolinka, we must ask ourselves what we are willing to do with the history she has entrusted to us.

As Latvians prepare to celebrate Easter, a time often spent with family and enjoying the arrival of spring, the National Health Service (NVD) is reminding citizens of available medical resources should health concerns arise during the holiday period. While many will focus on traditions and rest, unexpected illnesses or injuries can occur, and knowing where to turn for assist is crucial.

For non-emergency situations – common colds, sore throats, mild fevers, digestive issues, or flare-ups of chronic conditions – the NVD encourages residents to utilize the Family Doctor Consultative Hotline at 66016001. Experienced medical professionals are available to provide guidance, assess the need for an in-person visit, or advise on managing symptoms at home.

Those requiring in-person medical attention during the holidays will find on-duty doctors available in several major Latvian cities. The NVD website, www.vmnvd.gov.lv, provides a schedule and locations of these doctors in the “Kur saņemt medicīnisko palīdzību?” section.

In cases of trauma, burns, sudden worsening of health, or other acute emergencies, individuals should proceed directly to the nearest emergency medical point or hospital emergency department. The NVD advises contacting the chosen hospital beforehand to confirm they can provide the necessary care, noting that emergency rooms are intended for urgent situations, not routine appointments.

Life-threatening situations – such as severe chest pain, serious injuries, or loss of consciousness – require immediate assistance. Residents should contact the Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) by calling 113 or the unified emergency number 112.

The NVD also emphasizes the importance of preparation. Before the holiday, residents are encouraged to review their home first-aid kits, ensuring they have essential medications, and supplies. Individuals with chronic conditions should obtain necessary prescription refills in advance, recognizing potential limitations in access to family doctors during the holiday period. Caution is also advised during physical activities, and it’s wise to identify nearby medical facilities, especially when traveling outside of one’s usual location.

Comprehensive information regarding medical assistance options during the Easter holidays is available on the NVD website, www.vmnvd.gov.lv, within the “Kur saņemt medicīnisko palīdzību?” section.

The NVD wishes everyone a safe and joyful Easter.

What should I do if I have a minor illness during the holidays?

For common, non-emergency illnesses like a cold or mild fever, the NVD recommends first contacting the Family Doctor Consultative Hotline at 66016001. A medical professional can provide advice and help you determine if an in-person visit is necessary.

Where can I find a doctor if I need to be seen in person?

On-duty doctors will be available in several major Latvian cities during the Easter holiday. You can find a schedule and list of locations on the NVD website: www.vmnvd.gov.lv, in the “Kur saņemt medicīnisko palīdzību?” section.

What if I experience a medical emergency?

In life-threatening emergencies, such as severe chest pain or a serious injury, call 113 or 112 immediately to reach the Emergency Medical Service (NMPD). For urgent but not immediately life-threatening situations, proceed to the nearest emergency medical point or hospital emergency department.

Is it important to prepare before the holidays?

Yes, the NVD advises reviewing your home first-aid kit and ensuring you have necessary medications, especially if you have a chronic condition. It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the location of nearby medical facilities if you are traveling.

As families gather and enjoy the Easter season, being prepared and knowing where to turn for medical assistance can provide peace of mind. What steps will you accept to ensure a safe and healthy holiday?