Rescuers of Jews
Vidmantienė (Vaitkevičaitė) Konstancija
JURGIS VIDMANTAS & KONSTANCIJA VIDMANTIENĖ
Before the war the Jewish family of Subotsky lived in Kaunas. The family consisted of father Issar, mother Bronia and son Emanuel. On July 3, 1941, a few days after the occupation of Kaunas by the Germans, the father was killed by local collaborators. In August the mother and the son moved to the ghetto, where they stayed until November 1943.
One day in November Bronia and her son left the territory of the ghetto, among the chain of workers, in order to find a safe hiding place for Emanuel, who did not look like a Jew and spoke fluent Lithuanian. He was given shelter by several families for short periods of time. From 27 December 1943 Emanuel Subotsky lived in Kalnenai village, Jubarkas region, he stayed there with the Shneideris family until May 1944.
In May 1944, after the quarrel with the neighbour, suspicion arose that he guessed that Emanuel was a Jew and that the Shneideris family was hiding him. Therefore, the Shneideris’ daughter accompanied Emanuel back to the ghetto. But on the way, with the help of Antanina Mazyliene, they found Emanuel’s mother Bronia, who had been staying with the Vidmantas family since April 1944. She pretended to be Vidmantas’ relative, was helping about the house and taught the German language toVidmantas’ daughter Gygaja. The family allowed Emanuel also to stay with them until a safer place was not found for him. A few days later Jurgis Vidmantas took Emanuel to Paneveziukas village, where he possessed a small farm, which he was renting out to a peasant family. Emanuel joined them as a shepherd. Emanuel stayed with this family until the liberation in August 1944 and one month more until his mother came to take him.
After the liberation Bronia and her son Emanuel lived in Vilnius and maintained close connections with their rescuers.
Before the war the Jewish family of Subotsky lived in Kaunas. The family consisted of father Issar, mother Bronia and son Emanuel. On July 3, 1941, a few days after the occupation of Kaunas by the Germans, the father was killed by local collaborators. In August the mother and the son moved to the ghetto, where they stayed until November 1943.
One day in November Bronia and her son left the territory of the ghetto, among the chain of workers, in order to find a safe hiding place for Emanuel, who did not look like a Jew and spoke fluent Lithuanian. He was given shelter by several families for short periods of time. From 27 December 1943 Emanuel Subotsky lived in Kalnenai village, Jubarkas region, he stayed there with the Shneideris family until May 1944.
In May 1944, after the quarrel with the neighbour, suspicion arose that he guessed that Emanuel was a Jew and that the Shneideris family was hiding him. Therefore, the Shneideris’ daughter accompanied Emanuel back to the ghetto. But on the way, with the help of Antanina Mazyliene, they found Emanuel’s mother Bronia, who had been staying with the Vidmantas family since April 1944. She pretended to be Vidmantas’ relative, was helping about the house and taught the German language toVidmantas’ daughter Gygaja. The family allowed Emanuel also to stay with them until a safer place was not found for him. A few days later Jurgis Vidmantas took Emanuel to Paneveziukas village, where he possessed a small farm, which he was renting out to a peasant family. Emanuel joined them as a shepherd. Emanuel stayed with this family until the liberation in August 1944 and one month more until his mother came to take him.
After the liberation Bronia and her son Emanuel lived in Vilnius and maintained close connections with their rescuers.