Alūksne – a town (since 1920) and district centre in the Republic of Latvia.

First mentioned in 1285, Alūksne became part of the Russian Empire in 1721. From 1721 to 1796, it was known as Marienburg in the Valk County of the Riga Governorate, and from 1796, it belonged to the Governorate of Livonia. Between 1918 and 1940, it was part of the Republic of Latvia, and from 1940 to 1991, it was under Latvian SSR rule.

In 1920, 233 Jews lived in Alūksne (11% of the population), in 1925 – 164 (5%), in 1930 – 184 (5%), in 1935 – 176 (4%), and by 1940, approximately 100 Jews (2%) remained.

Jews began settling in Alūksne in the 1890s, primarily engaging in small-scale trade. In the 1920s–1930s, the town had a Jewish library, a theatre club, and a branch of “HeHalutz”. During the 1930s, a Jewish doctor practised in Alūksne, though many Jews moved to Riga during this period. Latvian culture had a significant influence on Alūksne’s Jewish population, with most Jewish children attending Latvian schools, while some studied in a heder.

In the 1930s, the town’s first rabbi was Josef Kovnat.

On 12 August 1941, approximately 180 Jews were executed in Alūksne.