A Diary: An Unsent Letter to my Parents

The diary of Alberts Censonis Cinis An Unsent Letter to my Parents was donated to the Museum by Ināra Sīkā, Chairman of the Daugavas Vanagi Sydney Chapter.

Alberts Censonis Cinis was born on 16 August 1926 to Milda and Andrejs Cinis of Valmiera County, Latvia. Alberts had two brothers – Viktors and Jānis. When Nazi Germany occupied Latvia Alberts was conscripted into a Latvian Division of the German Armed forces. He took part in battles in West Prussia (now Poland).

Together with other Latvian soldiers he surrendered to American forces near Hamburg in May 1945. In September 1945, he was transferred to the POW camp near Zedelgem, Belgium. On 28 December 1945, he participated in the founding of the organization Daugavas Vanagi (now known as the Latvian Welfare Association), dedicated to assist former soldiers. A year, later he was released and went to Germany. In 1949, Alberts emigrated with his brother Jānis to Sydney, Australia, where he lived until his passing on 17 September 2021.

Photo – from the left: Collection specialist Baiba Brieže, Chairman of the Daugavas Vanagi Sydney Chapter Ināra Sīkā, Director of the Museum Solvita Vība.