The Holocaust in Vilkaviskis 1. The Invasion (June 1941)
"A Sunday Like No Other"
On the morning of June 22, 1941, the peaceful border life of Vilkaviškis was shattered by the sound of German bombers. Most of the town was destroyed.
Within hours, the German army had occupied the town, instantly replacing the familiar rhythm of the community with a 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM curfew. Within hours, the familiar life of the town was replaced by a strict curfew and the presence of the Gestapo's Tilsit Operational Unit. The transition from neighbors to victims was immediate.Life as it had been known for centuries ended in a single day.
"The chaos was immediate. The Germans entered and the fear was everywhere. We were no longer citizens; we were targets.” from the testimony of Yosef Levi
The First Trap (The Priests' Seminary):
By early July, the deception began. Jewish men were ordered to the Market Square under the guise of being sent to work. Instead, they were led by Lithuanian police to the Priests' Seminary building.
The Witness Voice (Morris Penn): "We were taken to the Seminary... as we entered, we had to pass through a gauntlet of guards who beat us with clubs. This was the end of our freedom."
The Priest's Seminary that used as the Ghetto