The Nazi troops entered Daugavpils on 6 June 1941 and already on the first days of occupation launched the campaign to exterminate the Jews of Daugavpils. Pursuant to an order of 15 July 1941 all Jews had to move to the ghetto – a fortification on the left bank of the Daugava River. The majority of those imprisoned in the ghetto were Jews from Daugavpils; however, later a couple of thousand Jews from towns and rural areas in the vicinity were driven here – from Krāslava, Grīva, Višķi, Indra, Kārsava, Dagda, Ilūkste district and other places (also from Lithuania). In total approximately 15 000 to 20 000 Jews were placed in the ghetto, of which less than 100 persons survived.
On 6 September 2015 in the place of former Daugavpils ghetto, next to Daugavgrīva Prison the Jewish community of Daugavpils unveiled a monument with an inscription in English, Latvian, Russian and Hebrew: “In memory of ghetto prisoners. From July 15, 1941 to May 1, 1942 Daugavpils Jewish ghetto was located here.”
The design for the memorial stone was created by artist Juris Pundurs, whereas materials for making it were donated by a company Ltd. “Kvarcits” from Daugavpils.