Mass murder of Jewish men in Žemaičių Naumiestis (220 people)

9Q75+98 Šiaudviečiai, Šilutė District Municipality, Lithuania

On July 5th or 19th, 1941, the SS organized the second "Jewish Collection Action" (Judenbeschaffungsaktion). Its target was Žemaičių Naumiestis, located 14 km east of Heydekrug, and consequently one of the few towns in the northern border area where Jews had not yet been killed. All Jewish males aged 14 and older were ordered to enter the synagogue. There, they were met by SS men and Lithuanian police. All the men were loaded onto trucks and taken to the barracks east of the town. The shooters were Lithuanian policemen. On that day, at least 220 Jewish men were shot.

Lithuania: In the Footsteps of the Holocaust

Either on July 5 or July 19, 1941, a shooting squad was formed, consisting of members of the SS Reitersturm 2/20, SS Sturm Bann II/10, and Gestapo officers from the GPP Kolleschen. The senior officers and commanders involved in the shooting were Dr. Werner Scheu and Karl Struve. The shooting squad was brought to the town of Žemaičių Naumiestis, where the Jewish population of the town (several hundred people) was surrounded and guarded by armed Lithuanian white armbanders. The Jews were taken to the former Russian barracks, where 30 to 40 people were selected for work (later they were transferred to Šilutė). They were locked in a barn. Most likely, the selection was conducted by Scheu.

One group of SS men went to the already prepared execution site, while another guarded the Jews. This was about 3 km east of Žemaičių Naumiestis, between Žemaičių Naumiestis and Vainutas, near the small village of Šiaudvichiai. In a clearing in the forest, a trench about 20 meters long, 2-3 meters wide, and several meters deep was dug. The execution site was guarded by SS men. Jews were brought to the execution site by trucks in groups of about 20-30 people under the guard of SS soldiers and white armbanders. Upon arrival, they first had to hand over all their valuables, then take off their shoes and coats, and then they were shot. Ten victims at a time were forced to kneel at the edge of the pit and were shot in the neck; the bodies naturally fell into the pit. Most Jews went calmly to their deaths; only very few attempts to escape were recorded (all unsuccessful). The shootings were carried out by SS and Gestapo soldiers, as well as Lithuanian white armbanders, using pistols and Russian carbines. Known participants in the shooting, including commanders Struve and Scheu, SS Untersturmführer Kaulitzki, Otto Bastian, and Schmidt from the GPP Kolleschen.

In the evening, about 25 Jews from Vainutas were also shot at this site. They were brought to the execution in horse-drawn carriages and on foot under the guard of armed Lithuanians. The shooting sometimes ended between 5:00 and 6:00 PM; at least 220 Jewish males were killed that day. After the shooting, German soldiers had dinner together in Žemaičių Naumiestis. Later that same evening, the Jews selected for work were taken to Šilutė, from where they were sent to various labor camps after a few days.

Sources:

http://holocaustatlas.lt/EN/#a_atlas/search//page/8/item/172/

https://kvr.kpd.lt/#/static-heritage-detail/7f829016-2785-47e7-be5f-e8a890a0dae6

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