Description
The Latvian War Museum was founded in 1916 as the Latvian Riflemen's Museum. Since 1919 the museum has been located in a 14th century powder tower, formerly one of Riga's 25 fortification towers. After two world wars and some reconstruction, the powder tower still exists today. A new museum extension was added to the powder tower from 1937-1939. The museum was closed by Soviet authorities in 1940 and was reopened in 1990. The museum houses the permanent exhibitions "Latvian Soldiers During World War I 1914-1918", "Proclamation of the Latvian State and Liberation Battles 1918-1920", "The Latvian Army and Navy 1919-1940", "Latvia and World War II" and "The Road towards the Barricades 1945-1991".