1 Killing site(s)
Antanas V., born in 1927: "At the beginning of the German occupation, I was ordered to transport three or four young Jewish men from Varėna to Alytus, which is about 50 kilometers away. The journey was long, and upon arrival, I had to leave them in a large building in Alytus before departing. There were police officers and three German soldiers present. The Jews were told they were going to work, but instead, they were all killed. A couple of weeks later, I was again tasked with transporting another group of Jews to the same destination." (Testimony N°YIU206LT, interviewed in Senoji Varėna, on August 2, 2015)
"On September 9, 1941, 831 Jews were killed in Varėna: 541 Jewish men, 141 Jewish women, and 149 Jewish children." [Report of Karl Jaeger, commander of Einsatzkommando 3a, made in Kauen [today Kaunas], on December 1, 1941; Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B0716-0005-004]
Varėna is situated approximately 40 km (24.8 mi) southeast of Alytus. The first Jews began to settle in Varėna in the mid-18th century, during the time it was under the rule of the Russian Empire. By 1847, the Jewish population had grown to just 158 individuals. The establishment of a railway line connecting Varėna to the Russian railway network in 1894 significantly contributed to the town’s economic development and attracted more Jewish residents. According to the 1897 census, the number of Jews in Varėna rose to 1,473, making up 56% of the total population. During this period, local Jews primarily made their living through trade and small businesses, operating up to 30 stores, two cardboard factories, two flour mills, and a sawmill.
In 1915, the Jews of Varėna were forced into exile in Russia, resulting in the loss of the majority of their property. During the interwar period, when Varėna became part of an independent Lithuania, only a portion of these Jewish refugees were able to return home. According to the 1923 census, the town was home to only 399 Jews. The following years were marked by difficult economic conditions, and despite assistance from the Committee for Helping Jewish Refugees, many Jews from Varėna emigrated to larger cities or abroad, further reducing the town’s Jewish population.
The Jews of Varėna were mainly engaged in trade, the service sector, and craftsmanship, particularly to supply the military camps in the area or to cater to summer visitors, while some were involved in agriculture. The town housed a Folksbank, a Jewish cemetery, a synagogue, a Beth-Midrash, a Hebrew language school, a Talmud-Torah, and a library with around 1,500 books. During the interwar period, Jewish residents became increasingly active in the town’s social and cultural life, including participation in Zionist movements.
When Lithuania was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, the economic situation in Varėna deteriorated as the nationalization of Jewish shops and businesses led to shortages of goods and rising prices. Community institutions, including Zionist organizations and youth groups, were disbanded. Simultaneously, due to its proximity to the border between Lithuania and Poland, the number of Jews in the surrounding area increased with the arrival of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied territories.
Varėna was occupied by German troops on June 23, 1941. Following the occupation, Lithuanian activists known as "White Armbanders" established a new administration and police force. The new authorities quickly began persecuting anyone suspected of loyalty to the Soviet regime, with Jews among the primary targets. Several Jewish men were among the first victims, murdered in a nearby forest, while a number of young Jewish men were taken to Alytus under the pretext of forced labor, where they were subsequently killed.
During this period, anti-Jewish measures were imposed in Varėna, requiring local Jews to wear the Star of David on their clothing and to mark their homes with the letter "J." Jews were also forbidden from communicating with Lithuanians. Jewish property was looted, and Jewish men were subjected to forced labor, primarily repairing roads.
From early September 1941, the Jews of Varėna were rounded up and confined in the synagogue, where they remained for several days. Despite being under the supervision of armed guards, some local Lithuanians managed to bring food to the Jews in the synagogue. On September 9 (or September 10 according to other sources), 1941, the Jewish detainees, stripped to their underwear, were taken on foot to a forested area near Druckūnai village, within a former Tsarist military reservation, where they were shot to death in two trenches. The operation, known as Aktion, was conducted by Rollkommando Hamann with the assistance of the Chief of Security Police for the Alytus region and local "White Armbanders." According to the Jäger report, a total of 831 Jews, including 541 men, 141 women, and 149 children, were killed during the Aktion in Varėna.
Do you have additional information regarding a village that you would like to share with Yahad ?
Please contact us at contact@yahadinunum.org
or by calling Yahad – In Unum at +33 (0) 1 53 20 13 17