Rescuers of Jews
Lučiūnas Cezaris
Cezaris LUČIŪNAS and his children Antanas, Jonas, Elena and Mikalina
Cezaris Lučiūnas was a widower with 5 children – Antanas, Jonas, Elena, Mikalina and the youngest Veronika. Before the war they lived in Mataučizna farm near Vievis village. Cezaris worked as a carrier in a resin factory. The factory was owned by Meyer Koren. Cezaris’ son Antanas was very friendly with Meyer’s son Moshe. Nobody could even imagine what would be the fate of both families when the war breaks out.
Soon after the war broke out, all the Jews of Vievis had been taken to Semeliškes and two weeks later all of them were murdered. Meyer’s sons Moshe and Benjamin, as well as their aunt and two other Jews managed to hide in the cellar. Meyer’s wife Feiga went together with all the others and was murdered.
At night all the members of Meyer’s family reached Vievis and went to Cezaris Lučiūnas’ house. There they met their father Meyer and 11-year old sister Liuba, who was taken by Cezaris to his house in Semeliškes some time before. There was a hiding place in Cezaris’ house and Meyer Koren’s family spent 8 months there. Not only Cezaris, but also his children helped them remain alive. Only in June 1942, when it became too dangerous to stay in Vievis, the Korens had been forced to look for another shelter.
Meyer’s brother Tanchum, who lived in the Kaunas ghetto, organized the move of his relatives to the ghetto and there they lived from August 1942 till late autumn 1943.
At the end of 1943 Moshe Musel, who was one of the participants of the resistance movement of the Kaunas ghetto, managed to take 9 people from the ghetto to Tarpumiškis village to a forest warden Mykolas Šimelis where they waited for the arrival of the Russians.
Cezaris Lučiūnas was a widower with 5 children – Antanas, Jonas, Elena, Mikalina and the youngest Veronika. Before the war they lived in Mataučizna farm near Vievis village. Cezaris worked as a carrier in a resin factory. The factory was owned by Meyer Koren. Cezaris’ son Antanas was very friendly with Meyer’s son Moshe. Nobody could even imagine what would be the fate of both families when the war breaks out.
Soon after the war broke out, all the Jews of Vievis had been taken to Semeliškes and two weeks later all of them were murdered. Meyer’s sons Moshe and Benjamin, as well as their aunt and two other Jews managed to hide in the cellar. Meyer’s wife Feiga went together with all the others and was murdered.
At night all the members of Meyer’s family reached Vievis and went to Cezaris Lučiūnas’ house. There they met their father Meyer and 11-year old sister Liuba, who was taken by Cezaris to his house in Semeliškes some time before. There was a hiding place in Cezaris’ house and Meyer Koren’s family spent 8 months there. Not only Cezaris, but also his children helped them remain alive. Only in June 1942, when it became too dangerous to stay in Vievis, the Korens had been forced to look for another shelter.
Meyer’s brother Tanchum, who lived in the Kaunas ghetto, organized the move of his relatives to the ghetto and there they lived from August 1942 till late autumn 1943.
At the end of 1943 Moshe Musel, who was one of the participants of the resistance movement of the Kaunas ghetto, managed to take 9 people from the ghetto to Tarpumiškis village to a forest warden Mykolas Šimelis where they waited for the arrival of the Russians.