The Liepāja Museum covers the city's history from its medieval origins through the imperial Russian period, the interwar Latvian republic, the Nazi and Soviet occupations, and the re-establishment of independence in 1991. The collection includes weapons, furniture, photographs, and documents from each period — not a glamorous presentation but an honest one.
The section on the German occupation and the Liepāja massacres of 1941, when the Jewish population was killed in mass executions on the beach south of the city, is handled carefully and with appropriate weight. The interwar Latvia section shows what the city looked like when it was a prosperous port city of the independent republic — a contrast to its current, more subdued state. The museum is small enough to see in an hour and is a good primer before exploring Karosta.