Rescuers of Jews
Viščiūtė-Ambraziūnienė Jadvyga
MARIJONA VIŠČIENĖ
DOMAS VIŠČIUS
JADVYGA AMBRAZIŪNIENĖ (Viščiūtė)
ELENA MEDZIUKIENĖ (Viščiūtė)
JANINA SMOLENSKIENĖ (Viščiūtė)
The small farm in Antupyčiai village (Raseiniai district) owned by Domas and Marijona Visčiai bordered with Vagupiai estate land. Aronas Smolenskis was the owner of Vagupiai estate. He was on good terms with the neighbour Domas Viščius – if the neighbour needed anything Aronas Smolenskis never refused to help and supported this family. They paid him working hard in his estate.
When Nazis' army occupied Lithuania, the life of Jews turned to a horror.
On the first war days the "white bandaged" men came with bicycles, left the bicycles in Viščiai's house, immediately ran to Aronas' estate and beated him cruelly.
Half-dead Aronas the same night came creeping to Viščiai's house and from this moment hid there during the total war-time. The Viščiai family witnessed how one day all the Jews from the Betygala town were transfered to Aronas' estate and on the sun-raise time all of them were shot on the river-beach.
It was extremely dangerous to hide Aronas because the neighbours knew that he "disappeared" and were suspicious about Viščiai helping him. There were several shelters in the Viščiai homestead – there was a bunker dug in the barn; the tunnels were dug in the shed under the hay and under the ground of the room. It was done with the purpose that Aronas would have a possibility to go out and to hide in the case of the straight danger.
When Viščiai've heard about the rummages that were made in the town or in some village, then Aronas used to take the food for several days and to go hiding in the rye fields or in the bushes. Although the Viščiai family didn't avoid neither rummages nor threats, - they were lucky to survive and to rescue Aronas Smolenskis.
DOMAS VIŠČIUS
JADVYGA AMBRAZIŪNIENĖ (Viščiūtė)
ELENA MEDZIUKIENĖ (Viščiūtė)
JANINA SMOLENSKIENĖ (Viščiūtė)
The small farm in Antupyčiai village (Raseiniai district) owned by Domas and Marijona Visčiai bordered with Vagupiai estate land. Aronas Smolenskis was the owner of Vagupiai estate. He was on good terms with the neighbour Domas Viščius – if the neighbour needed anything Aronas Smolenskis never refused to help and supported this family. They paid him working hard in his estate.
When Nazis' army occupied Lithuania, the life of Jews turned to a horror.
On the first war days the "white bandaged" men came with bicycles, left the bicycles in Viščiai's house, immediately ran to Aronas' estate and beated him cruelly.
Half-dead Aronas the same night came creeping to Viščiai's house and from this moment hid there during the total war-time. The Viščiai family witnessed how one day all the Jews from the Betygala town were transfered to Aronas' estate and on the sun-raise time all of them were shot on the river-beach.
It was extremely dangerous to hide Aronas because the neighbours knew that he "disappeared" and were suspicious about Viščiai helping him. There were several shelters in the Viščiai homestead – there was a bunker dug in the barn; the tunnels were dug in the shed under the hay and under the ground of the room. It was done with the purpose that Aronas would have a possibility to go out and to hide in the case of the straight danger.
When Viščiai've heard about the rummages that were made in the town or in some village, then Aronas used to take the food for several days and to go hiding in the rye fields or in the bushes. Although the Viščiai family didn't avoid neither rummages nor threats, - they were lucky to survive and to rescue Aronas Smolenskis.