|
The Jäger
Report and several other sources identify four mass-killing sites in the
Rokiškis
region, specifically, the Steponiai forest (July 1941), the Vyžuonai
forest (July 1941),
the Velniaduobė woods near the village
of Bajorai (August 15 and 16, 1941 – 3,207 men, women, and children),
and the Antanašė
forest (August 25, 1941 – 1,160 men, women, and children).
In the summer of 1944, the Soviet army drove
the forces of Nazi Germany out of the Rokiškis
area and most of the eastern half of Lithuania.
In
October 1944, a special forensic commission exhumed and examined the
bodies at each of the four Rokiškis-area
sites.
The commission was assisted by local medical
authorities and medical experts from the Soviet army.
Crowds
of local residents were also present and some of the exhumed bodies were
identified.
For each of these examinations, a hand-written
report was created, written in the Lithuanian language.
The
reports are kept in the Manuscript Section of the Vrublevski Library of
the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences (“VL-MS”) in Vilnius.
Following
are summaries of the reports.
Steponiai Forest Site Examination Report (VL-MS F159-51-1R and
F159-51-1V)
The examination was conducted on October 26,
1944. The
site is located 5 kilometers from
Rokiškis
on the Rokiškis-Čedasai
road, 150 meters to the right, in the Steponiai Forest.
The commission found 6 mass graves.
In the first grave, which
measured 10 meters long, 3 meters wide, and 2 meters deep, 180 corpses
were found.
They were mostly Jews, lying neatly in
rows.
In the second grave, which measured 5
meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1.5 meters deep, 28 bodies were found,
consisting of Lithuanian and Russian men.
They were lying in the grave in a
disorderly manner, so it is believed that they were killed on the edge
of the graves and thrown in.
Ten bodies were identified.
In the third grave, which
measured 5 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 2 meters deep, 18 corpses
were found.
They were Jewish people of different
sexes and ages, lying in rows. In the fourth grave, which measured 4
meters long, 2 meters wide, and 2 meters deep, 10 corpses were found.
They were Jewish people of different
sexes and ages, lying neatly in rows. In the fifth grave, which measured
5 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 2 meters deep, the bodies of 50 Jews
were found.
They were of different sexes and ages,
lying neatly in rows.
In the sixth grave, which measured 10 meters
long, 3 meters wide, and 2 meters deep, 100 bodies were found of
different nationalities, Lithuanians, Russians, and Jews, of both sexes,
thrown chaotically into the grave.
Thirteen bodies were identified.
All of these murders occurred in the
middle of July 1941.
Vyžuonai
Forest Site Examination Report
(VL-MS F159-51-2R and F159-51-2V)
The examination was conducted on October 24, 1944.
Among those present was a
representative of the Catholic Church, parish priest Mykolas Juodelė and
a numerous crowd of local residents.
The
site is located in the Rokiškis
area, at a distance of 9 kilometers from
Rokiškis,
on the Rokiškis-Juodupė
road, about 200 meters to the left of the road in marshes within the
boundary of the forest.
There are two mass graves at this site,
each of which is 4 meters long and wide and 1.5 meters deep.
A total of 67 bodies of both sexes were
found in these graves.
In the first grave, 27 bodies were
found, of which 12 were identified.
In the second grave, 40 bodies were
found, of which 9 were identified.
Experts from the commission stated that the condemned were killed on the
edge of the graves and were thrown in in a chaotic manner.
Next to the corpses were found ordinary
items of life, such as combs, mirrors, toothbrushes, and wallets that
first were emptied and then tossed on top of the bodies.
Most of those killed were Lithuanians or Russians but there were also
the bodies of two Jews.
Local people testified that German
conducted these cruel killings in the first days of July 1941.
Velniaduobė
(Bajorai) Woods Site Examination Report (VL-MS F159-51-3R and
F159-51-3V)
The examination was conducted on October 21, 1944.
Among those present was a
representative of the Catholic Church, parish priest Mykolas Juodelė and
a numerous crowd of local residents.
The site is located in the Rokiškis
area, in the village of Bajorai, 5 kilometers from
Rokiškis,
400 meters to the right of the left of the Rokiškis-Juodupė
road, on a sandy elevation.
There are eight mass graves at this site, each of which is 20 meters
long, 3 meters wide, and 2 meters deep.
Each grave contained about 600 corpses.
The bodies were not lying in order but
rather were lying on upon another.
They were killed either by a bullet to
the back of the head or by being struck with a heavy object.
Some had been shot in the back and some
of the children had broken legs.
Among those killed were men, women, children, youngsters, babies, and
elderly people.
Most of them were holding hands.
Mothers were found who, horrified by
knowledge of their coming deaths, were holding their children close to
their chests waiting to be shot by a killer.
Next to the bodies were found books of
prayer, various household items, such as dishes, and documents.
Here is one example:
A security soldier’s certificate,
number 123124, issued in 1915 to Stolov Jahomas.[]
Experts from the commission stated that all of those killed here were
Jews, possibly as many as 5,000.
Judging by the civilian summer
clothing, the commission states that they were killed in the summertime.
According to local area witnesses, the cruel killings were performed by
the Germans in August 1941.
According to local resident witnesses, those condemned to perish were
escorted in groups of 100 to 200 people who were carrying bundles and
kitchen and other items.
This shows that they were escorted as
if going to a place for work or to live.
But they were taken alive to the place
where mass graves had been prepared in advance and they were cruelly
killed by Germans and local bandits.
Antanašė Forest Site Examination
Report
(VL-MS F159-51-4R)
The examination was conducted on October 28, 1944.
The Antanašė
massacre site is in the Rokiškis
area, near Obeliai, 5 kilometers from Obeliai on the
Obeliai-Aleksandravėlė road, 100 meters to the left of the road.
Two mass graves were found.
The first grave is 15 meters long, 3
meters wide, and 2.5 meters deep.
In this grave were found 550 bodies of
different ages, males, females, and children.
They were laid in order in 3 rows.
Nearly all were only wearing underwear.
With a few exceptions, all were Jews.
The second grave is 30 meters long, 3
meters wide, and 2 meters deep.
In this grave were found the bodies of
1,100 Jews of different ages and sexes.
The bodies were laid in rows.
They were killed in the graves.
According to peoples’ testimony the murders occurred on August 19 to 20,
1941.
The condemned were escorted to the
killing place in groups.
Other Rokiškis-Area Massacre
Sites
In 2017, the Rokiškis Regional Museum announced that it was in the
process of documenting two previously unmarked massacre sites, one near
the
Trakas-Pempiškis forest and the other near the
border between the villages of Šeduikiškis and Kavoliškis.
Below is the English version of the
museum’s announcement.
In time, other sites may come to light.
English Translation of June 21, 2017,
Announcement of Rokiškis Regional Museum Regarding Two Previously
Undocumented and Unmarked Holocaust Killing Sites in the Rokiškis Region
|
