Varakļāni

56°36′N 26°45′E / 56.600°N 26.750°E / 56.600; 26.750Country LatviaDistrictMadona DistrictTown rights1928Government • MayorMāris JustsArea • Total5.33 km² (2.06 sq mi) • Land5.26 km² (2.03 sq mi) • Water0.07 km² (0.03 sq mi)Population • Total1,653 • Density310/km² (800/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+2 (EET) • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)Postal codeCalling code+371 648Number of city council members9Websitehttp://www.varaklani.lv/

Varakļāni (pronunciation^ⓘ; German: Warkland, Yiddish: וואַרקלאַן, Russian: Варакляны) is a town in the Latgale historical region of Latvia. The population in 2020 was 1,740.^[3]

The town of Varakļāni was founded and established in the Russian Empire in the 18th century.

Varakļāni Palace is located in Varakļāni.

Varaklani had a sizeable population of Jews throughout much of its history, ending with the Holocaust. Towards the end of the 19th century, Jews comprised about 75% of the population. Various pogroms, expulsions, WWI and the Russian Revolutions brought the Jewish population down considerably. Several hundred Jews left with the Russians in preparation of the Nazi advance.^[4] The Nazis forced 540 remaining Jews to dig their own graves, and then shot them to death in a mass shooting on 4 August 1941.^[5] Jewish historical records, including online resources, contain much information about community leadership, organizations, and general town information.

• Michael Johann von der Borch, (1753–1810) Polish statesman and writer

• List of cities in Latvia

• Media related to Varakļāni at Wikimedia Commons