In the summer of 1941, Telšiai County became a site of the mass destruction of Lithuanian Jews. Within just a few months, centuries-old Jewish communities in Telšiai, Plungė, Alsėdžiai, Žemaičių Kalvarija, Varniai, and other towns were annihilated. This tragedy fundamentally altered the demographic and cultural landscape of the region.
During the same period, some residents of Telšiai County made the courageous decision to rescue persecuted Jews. Today, 175 recognized rescuers of Jews are recorded in Telšiai County—individuals who have been awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations and/or the Lithuanian State Decoration, the Life Saving Cross.
Rescue efforts took place both in the town of Telšiai and in surrounding villages and towns, including Vygantiškiai, Kalnėnai, Juodsodė, Džiuginėnai, Buožėnai, Rubežaičiai, Judrėnai, Varniai, Žarėnai, Luokė, as well as in Plungė, Alsėdžiai, Žemaičių Kalvarija, Šarnelė, and other localities. This geography demonstrates that rescue was not an isolated occurrence—it extended throughout the entire region.
In many cases, the assistance was long-term and organized. People hid children and adults in their homes and farms, shared food, searched for safer hiding places, and helped obtain or forge documents. In some areas, networks of families and relatives formed, enabling the rescue of entire families. Such acts carried the risk of the death penalty not only for the rescuer but also for their family members.
The rescuers of Jews in the Telšiai region came from diverse social backgrounds—farmers, townspeople, members of the intelligentsia, and clergy. What united them was not status, but the decision to act.
By presenting the stories of the Jewish rescuers of Telšiai County, the Samogitian Museum “Alka” seeks to systematize and bring to light the memory of this region: to collect biographical data, document sites of remembrance, publish testimonies of the rescued, and encourage historical dialogue within the community.
If your family preserves stories, photographs, documents, or other materials related to the rescue of Jews in Telšiai County, we invite you to contact the museum. Even fragmentary information can help enrich and clarify the history of our region.
You can reach us at:
Email: telsiujesiva@muziejusalka.lt
Tel.: +370 60060 521 or +370 61415 868
The stories of the Jewish rescuers of Telšiai County are an inseparable part of the history of Samogitia. Their names represent documented and enduring testimony to individuals who, in extreme circumstances, chose to help.
