Rescuers of Jews
From the memoirs of Jonas Pusvaškis
I, as a pharmacist, had access to “devil’s drops” enjoyed by the servants of devil, who would do anything to get them – even risk their office. I used to give some of these “drops” to Mr. Gotautas, who would use them in his own ways, i. e. in God’s honour. I used this idea of Mr. Gotautas too. I met the head of Petrašiūnai rural district who later became the head of Karmėlava. He also used to deal with the German occupants and would achieve a lot with the use of alcohol. I will not forget how that good man (former Lithuanian officer) once said that he could not sleep in peace knowing that some of the Lithuanians help to kill innocent people. I understood that I could openly tell him that I needed passports for the hiding Jews. A few days later, he brought me a bundle of some 100 passports. Those were the passports of deceased people. Thus I could give the documents to Mrs. Vaksienė, Mr. Vaksas, Mrs. Finkelbrandienė and her sisters – directly or indirectly through Mr. Gotautas who would find reliable accommodation and jobs for them. I am not a man of valour. I was scared day and night just like the Jews. Paradoxically, the fear remained even after the Germans were driven from Lithuania. Mr. Gotautas was detained by the retreating Germans and was taken to the concentration camps in Germany. I am not sure, who liberated him. Only in 1945, I received a letter from him. He was in Germany and was inquiring about his brothers (i. e. the Capuchins), and whether he could come back. In dismay, I wrote to him that the monks had left Petrašiūnai, that I was not aware of their whereabouts, and that their houses were occupied by other people. Mrs. Vaksienė, Mrs. Finkelbrandienė and others, who had been provided with passports by Mr. Gotautas, survived, except for Mr. Vaksas who unfortunately perished. /.../
I, as a pharmacist, had access to “devil’s drops” enjoyed by the servants of devil, who would do anything to get them – even risk their office. I used to give some of these “drops” to Mr. Gotautas, who would use them in his own ways, i. e. in God’s honour. I used this idea of Mr. Gotautas too. I met the head of Petrašiūnai rural district who later became the head of Karmėlava. He also used to deal with the German occupants and would achieve a lot with the use of alcohol. I will not forget how that good man (former Lithuanian officer) once said that he could not sleep in peace knowing that some of the Lithuanians help to kill innocent people. I understood that I could openly tell him that I needed passports for the hiding Jews. A few days later, he brought me a bundle of some 100 passports. Those were the passports of deceased people. Thus I could give the documents to Mrs. Vaksienė, Mr. Vaksas, Mrs. Finkelbrandienė and her sisters – directly or indirectly through Mr. Gotautas who would find reliable accommodation and jobs for them. I am not a man of valour. I was scared day and night just like the Jews. Paradoxically, the fear remained even after the Germans were driven from Lithuania. Mr. Gotautas was detained by the retreating Germans and was taken to the concentration camps in Germany. I am not sure, who liberated him. Only in 1945, I received a letter from him. He was in Germany and was inquiring about his brothers (i. e. the Capuchins), and whether he could come back. In dismay, I wrote to him that the monks had left Petrašiūnai, that I was not aware of their whereabouts, and that their houses were occupied by other people. Mrs. Vaksienė, Mrs. Finkelbrandienė and others, who had been provided with passports by Mr. Gotautas, survived, except for Mr. Vaksas who unfortunately perished. /.../