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Mass murders in Pakruojis (400 people)

A total of 400 Jews from the Pakruojis district were killed in the Morkakalnis forest.
Lithuania: In the Footsteps of the Holocaust
photo
Jermaine

In mid-July 1941 (some sources indicate the date as July 13), several German officers commanding a unit of 50-60 soldiers arrived in Pakruojis. With the assistance of the white armband men from Požela, they arrested all the Jews of the town (more than a hundred people), including the rabbi of Pakruojis. The victims were taken to the Morkakalnis forest, located 2 kilometers from the town, and were killed the same day. The shootings were carried out by German soldiers, while the local white armband men guarded the site of the mass murder. In early August 1941 (according to some data, August 5), several German officers and a unit of white armband men from Linkuva arrived in Pakruojis. They were assisted by local white armband men and police officers. They were ordered to arrest the remaining Jews from the town (women, children, and the elderly). They gathered more than 200 Jews, telling them they would be transferred to another place where they would work. Instead, they were first herded into the synagogue and then marched to the Morkakalnis forest. When the victims were within a few hundred meters of the pit, they were forced to undress. Then the Jews were brought in groups of five to the pit and killed. The Pakruojis and Linkuva white armband men carried out the shootings. German officers directed the killings. One of them took photographs. During the killings, the German commander told the Jews that those who handed over their gold and valuables would be allowed to live. Eight or nine Jews did so and were sent home. Later that same day, those same Jews were brought back to the killing site and killed. Each shooter was paid one hundred rubles for the work done. In total, 400 Jews from the Pakruojis area were killed in the Morkakalnis forest.

Sources:

http://holocaustatlas.lt/EN/#a_atlas/search//page/10/item/99/

https://kvr.kpd.lt/#/static-heritage-detail/cf4f01d6-6b4a-4216-af99-fd339921553a

photo
Jermaine

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