Remembering the Holocaust in Lithuania

For centuries Lithuania was a vibrant centre of Jewish life. Its capital, Vilna (Vilnius), was known as the ‘Jerusalem of the North,’ a flourishing hub of Jewish learning, religious tradition and creativity.

The German invasion in June 1941 signalled the prelude to the Holocaust, Jews in Lithuania were systematically targeted and murdered. By the end of August 1941, most Jews in the countryside had been shot. Others - incarcerated in the ghettos of Vilna, Kaunas and Siauliai – were later included into the program of the “Final Solution”.

Approximately 90 percent of Lithuania’s estimated 220,000 Jews were murdered by the Germans and their local collaborators – one of the highest victim rates in Europe.

This event commemorates the Holocaust in Lithuania. Our Resident Historian, Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet, sheds light on the destruction of Jewish life in Lithuania. His Excellency Darius Degutis, the Lithuanian Ambassador to Australia, delivers a keynote address, highlighting ongoing efforts to ensure that the Holocaust is properly remembered and commemorated in Lithuania today.