As soon as the life of refugees in the camps was more or less set to normal, there arose a craving for intellectual activities in different areas of culture. The activity was so extensive that it united all Latvians in West Germany in one community that gained the name of “Little Latvia”. In their opinion culture was one of the options to maintain one’s national identity.

At the beginning of 1946 the Art Agency of Latvian Central Committee, having surveyed the creative potential of refugees, determined that there were 750 refugee artists (142 painters, sculptors and graphic artists, 143 actors and directors etc.) and 174 writers and journalists.

Two professional Latvia theatres operated in Germany – in Esslingen and Märbeck, but there also existed 19 semi-professional and amateur troupes and groups.

The refugee camps in Germany also comprised 152 singers, 197 instrument players, 71 composers and conductors. Under the management of Bruno Skulte the Oldenburg Opera was founded and the “Latvian Ballet” under the management of Osvalds Lēmanis. The string quartet of Arvīds Norītis with its 121 concerts and the famous men’s double quartet “Tēvija” gained outstanding success. 48 mixed and men’s choirs and 14 vocal ensembles were established. In the summer of 1946, the first exile song festival (song days) was held in Fischbach, Bayreuth, Ansberg and elsewhere.

The first Latvian painting exhibition was opened already in 1945 in Ravensburg, followed by many more, also individual exhibitions. The Latvian Artists’ Association was founded (Chairman Prof. A. Annuss), in Esslingen an art school worked under the management of Prof. J. Kuga and there were art studios and groups in other camps.

Craftsmen became very active and in 1946 they united under the Craftsmen’s Association, headed by Hugo Mercs. At the same time the UNRRA Arts School was opened in München, art saloons and workshops were opened.

As of 1945, almost every camp or organisation were publishing newspapers, magazines, bulletins and newsletters, in total 232 periodicals. Publishing houses emerged one after another, issuing 907 editions/books: textbooks, belles-lettres and special literature.

	Overview of Art agency. 21 May 1946. LVA, 1971. f., 1. apr., 7. l., 2. lp.
	Program leaflet of orchestra concert. 30 June 1946. LVA, 2123. f., 4v. apr., 3. l., 6. lp.
	Frank district Latvian DP Song day. 30 June 1946. LVA, 2335. f., 1. apr., 175. l., 1. lp.
	Song days in Ansbach. 4 August 1946. LVA, 2250. f., 18v. apr., 1. l., 7. lp.
	Song days in Ansbach. 4 August 1946. LVA, 2250. f., 18v. apr., 1. l., 10. lp.
	Latvian choir. Meerbeck DP camp. April 1947. LVA, 2250. f., 2v. apr., 4. l., 5. lp.
	Esslingen Latvian choir. 25 May 1947. LVA, 2250. f., 51v. apr., 1. l., 23. lp.
	Latvian Song day. Hanau. Year 1947. LVA, 2335. f., 1. apr., 397. l., 16. lp.
	Latvian Song day action committee board participants. 21 February 1948. LVA, 2335. f., 1. apr., 180. l., 5. lp.
	Latvian choir description. Glasenbach DP camp. 1 November 1948. LVA, 2335. f., 1. apr., 172. l., 96. lp.
	Latvian Red Cross support for Latvian theatre in Amber. Year 1945. LVA, 2176. f., 2v. apr., 8. l., 88. lp.
	Latvian theatre in Esslingen. LVA, 2123. f., 4v. apr., 4. l., 3. lp.
	Evening in memory of Kārlis Skalbe. 7 March 1946. LVA, 2335. f., 1. apr., 174. l., 11. lp.
	Acknowledgements from A. Apse, manager of Latvian soldiers’ newspaper publisher ’Burtnieks’. 1 March 1946. LVA, 2176. f., 2v. apr., 206. l., 55. lp.
	Christmas Has Come. Folk Songs. Peter Mantnieks publisher, Edgar Kiploks publisher, 1946 Library of the State Archives of Latvia
	Latvia in Images and Poetry. Published by S. Skara, Stuttgart, 1946 Library of the State Archives of Latvia
	Janis Poruks. Beggars in the Yearly Market. Publisher Books Publishing, Gauja, 1947 Library of the State Archives of Latvia
	Basketball game. LVA, 2250. f., 2v. apr., 76. l., 10. lp.
	Mannheim gymnasium boys and girls volleyball teams in Esslingen camp. Year 1946. LVA, 2250. f., 18v. apr., 1. l., 2. lp.
	Latvian football team. LVA, 2250. f., 18v. apr., 1. l., 13. lp.