Sunday, June 14, 2009

Partial lists of lithuanian murderers of jews of various locations




 


 

                                  Panerys - from Kazimir Sakowitz diary

 

The Lithuanians will never be able to remove the shame of Panerys from themselves just like they won’t be able to absolve themselves from the shame of the other approximately 220 killing sites where they murdered the Jews, their neighbors for hundreds of years including the ones that the Germans brought from Europe over a three year period; over 100,000 men, women and children.They turned the site into a market selling the clothes and valuables of their victims and Panerys became the symbol of Lithuanian inhumanity.

    Panerys site and it’s suitability for mass murder                        

   Panerys, the frightful killing site is located about 10 kilometers south of Vilnius. This wooded area was used in the past as a recreation and hiker venue. During the Soviet occupation they started to build, next to the railroad tracks, storage facilities to hold fuel for their air force base. They dug deep trenches to hold the storage tanks and the Lithuanians used them for mass killing. The Lithuanians started murdering Jews immediately after the German invasion, even before the arrival of the German “Einzatzgruppen” of the S.S. When they arrived they approved of the site as fitting for the “Final Solution” A special Lithuanian group called “Ypatingas Būrys“ participated in the mass murders and they became the main and the most vicious killers.

    Most killers-Lithuanians

The first killings by the Lithuanians were „primitive“ but when Obersturmfuerer Schauschitz became the commander he perfected the murder methods and made them more „eficient“. There were very few Germans taking part in the murders since there were enough Lithuanians willing to do the „job“. The members of the „Einsatzgruppen“ were mainly clerks, planners, communication people and truckdrivers.

   Daily murder

Aproximately 200 people were murdered a day and every day.The victims were brought there in covered trucks in very large groups, smaller ones and individuals. Very large groups were brought in by train. All plans for the murders were made and arranged by the Germans (usually the Gestapo and the Einsatzgruppen) and Lithuanians.

   In spite of the secrecy- the crimes became known

The first information about the murders in Panerys became known when a few Jews succeeded in escaping from the death trenches hiding between the corpses of people that were murdered that day and after the killers poured lime on them as was commonly done. Some of the escapees sneaked back into the Ghetto and told their horror story.

   Sakowitz records the murders

Only after the capture of Vilnius by the Soviets did the diary of the Pole Sakowitz appear. He lived in the vicinity of the murder site. The anti-Semite Sakowitz, a former newsman, became friendly with some of the murderers and wrote down what he saw.(it is still unclear for what reason) on pieces of paper, notebooks and old calenders, stuffed them into lemonade bottles and buried them in the ground.. Sakowitz, an eye wittness who lived closest to the barbaric murders, started his recording on November 7,1941, about two weeks after the innitial murder of Jews started, and finished his writing in November 1943, approximately eight months before the end of the murders by the Lithuanians in this area. Sakowitz recorded the murders that were carried out in this vicinity over a period for 835 days, about two and a half years. 

   Sakowitz describes murder methods

Sakowitz describes,among other things, in one of his diaries how they shot the Jews. According to him five methods of murder were used by the Lithuanian killers.

1.The Jews were moved to one place in the area and told to lie face down on the ground. They would separate and take one group after another to the trench then they would beat them and torture them. Then they were told to undress. At the trench they put down a kind of springboard. When the victim stepped on the board they shot him and he fell into the trench.

2.The method was changed: instead of walking on the board, the victim was forced to descend into the bottom of the trench and then shot to death.

3.Like the second method but instead of shooting the victim they threw hand granades into the trench and it tore the victims to pieces.

4.The same method but they forced their victims to descend into the trench still dressed where they were told to undress and then they were shot by machine-guns. At this time other Jews were sitting on the road without knowing that they are the next in line to be killed.

5.Towards the end, after having gained enough expertise, the killers forced their victims to undress in the trucks that brought them to the site and then they were taken one by one to the trench and shot there.             

 

 

 

 

Some excerpts from the Sakowitz diary

 

„...from the 14 0f July 1941 the Jews are undressed and their clothes are immediately offered for sale by the Lithuanians. The trade in clothes is flowering. Wagons loaded with the clothes of the murdered arrive in the trade center next to Grodzinska where they are being sold..

 „the Lithuanian murderers go around with sacks full of watches and other valuables and try to sell them...“They sometimes exchange their goods for other merchandise, mainly alcohol“..

 

 Murder and trade

...“the killing started from the 23rd of July 1941 and during the next 17 days from 250 to 300 people were killed every day...“ „.. to the Germans 300 killed Jews means 300 enemies of humanity less but to the Lithuanian murderers it means 300 pairs of shoes and other things of value...“. „they shoot people in the back. When its raining the Lithuanuans throw hand granades or shoot them with machine guns...“

 Tourist visit

...“two well dressed Lithuanian women, accompanied by a man, arrived in a private car, seemingly in a good mood, to witness and enjoy the „spectacle“ of the murders. After the Lithuanians finished the shooting they returned to their car and drove away. They did not seem to be sad...“

 A large group of victims to be murdered

leading to the site I saw a long line of of people, about 2 kilometers long going in the direction of „...the wind was blowing and it was raining on the Tuesday, the second of September.On the road the church,. People were made to run through the passage and it took about 15 minutes. Jankauskis claims that there were about 4000 people there. Others claimed that there were more and most of them were women and children. When they reached the forest through the passage they realized what awaits them and started to scream „help“. 80 Lithuanian murderers started to shoot at them and an additional 100 killers surrounded them and guarded the perimeter. All of them were drunk“..

 Barbarism and abuse before the killing

„Jankauskis told that before killing them they abused their victims so that the killers could gather courage to kill them all. They beat the men and the women; the men were shot separately and the women were forced to undress. They remained in their underwear. There were many furs and other valuables among the victims since they believed that they were being led to the Ghetto and took with them all their valuables . The Lithuanian murderers shot their victims in a way that every group was made to stand on the corpses of the previous group of people that were shot before. They were forced to stand on the corpses. There were many wounded that were still alive. One woman, who was shot in her hand, escaped to Dolna. She witnessd how they killed her children in one trench and her husband in another...“

 After the murders-selling the spoils

„...after the mass murders the Lithuanians started to market a lot of womens clothing. The day after the killings the Lithuanians found next to the trenches a baby that was playing in the sand. The Lithuanians threw him into the trench and shot him. Krikowa told that during the mass murders they tore a breast- feeding child from its mother and killed him.On the 3rd of September an escaped Jewish woman entered Jankowski‘s house in an effort to get to Vilnius. A Lithuanian who noticed her jumped onto the veranda, asked her if she was Jewish and when she replied in the affirmative started to beat her, dragged her into the forest and killed her there...

 Women and children

„...Saturday, the 25th of October was a terrible day. At eight thirty in the morning I saw next to the church a long procession of Jews. When I came closer I realized that they were all women.They were young and old, with children in baby carriages and othrs carried in their hands. Some of them slept. It was a beautiful morning.Suddenly we heard shots being fired in the forest.They shot women and children that were brought that morning in trucks from the Lukiškis prison. There were apparently many wounded. Some of them tried to escape and the shooting lasted the whole night...“

 No mercy in the hearts of the Lithuanians

There was no mercy in the hearts of the Lithuanians „...one Jewess, about 19 or 20 years old, dressed in a grey coat with a fur collar carried a baby, about 3 years old, knelt on the ground and started kissing the dirty boots of the junior officer and begged for her life. The officer kicked her with the point od his boot in the jaw. It tore her skin and her blood mixed with the dirt. Another soldier hit her with his rifle butt while she was still on the ground next to the murder site. The soldier grabbed the crying child, shook him and threw him over the fence like a piece of wood. Then the soldier picked up his rifle and wanted to shoot him. The mother stood up, ran to the fence and tried to protect her child with her body. The shooting continued till 5 o‘ clock in the afternoon. Another woman hearing the shots, tried to run away from the column,was caught and beated to death...“

 The murder of babies

„...on the 19th of November they brought 200 women and children. It was very cold. The soldiers did not receive enough bullets, susequently they tore the children from the mothers and killed them with their rifle butts. Even in the past there were instances where they did not bother to shoot them, they simply threw them into the trenches....“

 Killing for clothes - to fit the buyer

„...another group of women and children arrived on the 21-st of November, including some men. Shots were heard all the time. Towards the end of the day a rifle carrying Lithuanian came out of the site and started selling womens clothing, overcoats,dresses and shoes. The last coats were sold for 120 Rubels and included a pair of winter boots. . When one of the farmers asked if there are going to be additional clothes for sale, the Lithuanian answered: „wait, I‘ll find a Jewess to fit your size“ The farmer and his wife became frightened and ran away. When the Lithuanian came back he became very angry since he had already picked a Jewish woman out of the line going to be killed and whose size matched the farmers wife, then killed her and brought her coat...“

 Lithuanian Catholics kill even during holidays

„on Saturday, the first of December, All Saints Holiday, the religious Lithuanian Catholics killed four loaded trucks with Jews. This time the Lithuanians wore military uniforms. The All Saints Holliday did not stop them from killing...“

 The Killing of the Elderly                                                                                     „...on the third of July 1942, 150 old Jews who could not work any more were brought to the site. They came from the strategic highway to the site through the gate.They were brought at nine in the morning from the Ghetto. Many of them heavily wounded were buried alive...“

 Pleading did not help

„...fifth of April 1943, Monday. The group next to the trench was told to undress. Screams and crying were heard. People begged for their lives, dropped at their feet but were kicked and shot while they were lolling on the ground. When they arrived at the edge of the trench they were beaten and forced to undress. Then they were pushed into the trench and the Lithuanians started shooting them. A man who was already undressed was ordered to drag a fainted woman to the trench. After he dropped her into the trench he turned around, was shot in he head and fell in after her. His brain scattered all over. The Lithuanians continued shooting without stop and murdered the second half of the group.“

 Conveyer belt murder

„...a part of the Lithuanians, after the first group was butchered, went to the railroad to bring more victims. The slaughter continued without stop. The Lithuanians collected the clothing in a large pile. Suddenly a Lithuanian pulled out a little child who was hiding in the pile. He threw him immediately into the trench. After him he found another child and then another and all of them were thrown into the trench. One Lithuanian was standing by the trench and shot at them. An additional group of men and women was brought to the trench , were pushed into it and were shot by the Lithuanians from above. Four men were told to assemble the cloths in an orderly pile and found there a baby. A Lithuanian ordered one of the four to throw the baby into the trench but the Jew grabbed the baby and ran to the forest. The Lithuanians ran after him but the Jew dissapeared“.

 Spat in the face of the German..

„ at that time a third group appeared and all started from the beginning-they were told to undress and then were shot. One woman spat in the face of German and the Lithuanian struck her with hie rifle butt. A man tried to resist and was shot and fell. That‘s the way they murdered one group after nother. That day, from 6 am till 11 pm that night the Jews that were brought in 49 freight

Additional trains started to arrive.Those that were brought in knew immediately what awaits them Their escape was better planned and therefore was more successful than the victims‘ in the first train. Immediately after the doors of the cars were opened and the Lithuanians started to aline the people in columns. The people started to run in all directions. There was a commotion, screams were heard and shooting. Most of the escapees ran through the rail lines and others to the road. The Lithuanians fired also on their own people. Many succeeded in escaping and saving themselves; only a few walked through the gate to the site, they were old people and women...“

 

This evidence presented reveals only a few of the crimes committed by the Lithuanians These descriptions, written by the Polish newsman Sakowitz, before he was cought and executed, are only a small part of the horrors that happened in the Lithuanian hell called Panerys (Ponar).

The cold-bloodidness and the "heroism" that the Lithuaniams showed against unarmed people, against women and children, shows the rotten barbaric nature of these people. In conclusion, what the Lithuanians did to the Jewish people in such a short time has never been done to the Jewish people in its long history.cars, about 2500 Jews were murdered. Fifty of them escaped.

 Many additional attempts to escape









Rūta Vanagaitė recently presented a book, "Our Own", about the Holocaust in Lithuania


(eng paid version)

Did Israel Cross a Holocaust Red Line Today by Honoring Leader of a Pro-Nazi 1941 Militia?


                                  Х.Лейбовичюс. Молчанье не всегда знак согласья



 Einsatzkommandos Tilsit Prozess 1958

Erst erschossen sie Juden, dann versoffen sie das Geld ihrer Opfer. Kaltblütig ermordeten die Männer des "Einsatzkommandos Tilsit" ab 1941 Tausende Menschen. 1958 wurde ihnen der Prozess gemacht - das Urteil veränderte die Bundesrepublik. Von Andreas Mix   - jew killing in the baltics.




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