THE FATE OF JEWS FROM AKMENE REGION
At the end of June 1941, the German army entered Akmene.
On June 29, the Germans shot three Jews - said to be Soviet activists.
At the beginning of July, around 70 Jews from Akmene village were arrested (eight in Akmene, five in Klykoliai, one family in Mantartiškės). 30 Jews were also arrested in Vegeriai. They were initially locked up in the Vegerii synagogue, and later moved to Akmenė.
In the middle of July, all male Jews were locked up in the Jewish bakery - a red brick building on Kasakauskas Street. Women and children - in a fenced synagogue.
On the fourth day of August, all Jews were expelled to Mažeikiai. The old and sick were transported in carts, others walked. In Mažeikiai, they were kept locked in the barn together with their friends of fate.
On August 9, 1941, everyone was driven to the Tirkšliai/Mažeikiai Jewish cemetery. They were told to undress.
The condemned were lined up in groups of 20-30 on the edge of the hand-dug pits. Those who survived the rifle volleys were killed by pistol shots at close range. The massacre continued for about five hours. About 2,000 Jews were shot.
On that day, all Jews expelled from Akmene were shot.
We are simple people. We are often asked why we do what we do. Like today. The answer is very simple - not at all for us. We care that those people, those men, women, children who lived, worked, loved and grieved, were angry and reconciled, rejoiced and mourned together and next to our grandparents, would not be forgotten. So that their language, culture and traditions are not forgotten. So that they themselves are never forgotten. Men, women, children, old people...
Today we will read aloud the names of those whose path to death began here. In this place. Today we will read the names of those who were killed eighty years ago. Without guilt. Without meaning. Just to kill.
We will read the names and surnames of people who lived together with our compatriots in Akmene, Kivyliai, Vegeriai, Mantartiškės... It is good that these names are not forgotten and will be preserved forever in the Yad Vashem database and in people's memory. It is said that a person lives as long as others remember his name. So today we will repeat the names so that their owners remain alive and in our memory.
For each one who died, we will take a stone and carry it on the road of death. The road they took to nothingness. And we will leave the stones in the place where they lay forever in the land of Lithuania. Lithuania, which they loved and defended, for which they worked, which was their homeland.
On June 29, the Germans shot three Jews - said to be Soviet activists.
At the beginning of July, around 70 Jews from Akmene village were arrested (eight in Akmene, five in Klykoliai, one family in Mantartiškės). 30 Jews were also arrested in Vegeriai. They were initially locked up in the Vegerii synagogue, and later moved to Akmenė.
In the middle of July, all male Jews were locked up in the Jewish bakery - a red brick building on Kasakauskas Street. Women and children - in a fenced synagogue.
On the fourth day of August, all Jews were expelled to Mažeikiai. The old and sick were transported in carts, others walked. In Mažeikiai, they were kept locked in the barn together with their friends of fate.
On August 9, 1941, everyone was driven to the Tirkšliai/Mažeikiai Jewish cemetery. They were told to undress.
The condemned were lined up in groups of 20-30 on the edge of the hand-dug pits. Those who survived the rifle volleys were killed by pistol shots at close range. The massacre continued for about five hours. About 2,000 Jews were shot.
On that day, all Jews expelled from Akmene were shot.
We are simple people. We are often asked why we do what we do. Like today. The answer is very simple - not at all for us. We care that those people, those men, women, children who lived, worked, loved and grieved, were angry and reconciled, rejoiced and mourned together and next to our grandparents, would not be forgotten. So that their language, culture and traditions are not forgotten. So that they themselves are never forgotten. Men, women, children, old people...
Today we will read aloud the names of those whose path to death began here. In this place. Today we will read the names of those who were killed eighty years ago. Without guilt. Without meaning. Just to kill.
We will read the names and surnames of people who lived together with our compatriots in Akmene, Kivyliai, Vegeriai, Mantartiškės... It is good that these names are not forgotten and will be preserved forever in the Yad Vashem database and in people's memory. It is said that a person lives as long as others remember his name. So today we will repeat the names so that their owners remain alive and in our memory.
For each one who died, we will take a stone and carry it on the road of death. The road they took to nothingness. And we will leave the stones in the place where they lay forever in the land of Lithuania. Lithuania, which they loved and defended, for which they worked, which was their homeland.
