rescuers of jews
Žakovičius (Žakavičius) Vytautas
Vytautas ŽAKOVIČIUS (ŽAKAVIČIUS) (1876–1944)
Shot in 1944 in the 9th Fort in Kaunas
From the testimony of doctor M. Ginkas:
In the autumn of 1943, doctor Š. Matusevičius and his 4 loved ones escaped from the Kaunas Ghetto, were ferried by their acquaintances to Gelgaudiškis, and found shelter at Vytautas Žakovičius in Pakalniškiai village. Outraged by the atrocities all around, Vytautas Žakovičius took care of the fugitives from the ghetto and hid them. He believed that such help was an important method of fight against fascism and against killing of innocent people. He started conveying his beliefs to other people. Encouraged by Žakovičius, many farmers soon opened their doors to the fugitives from the ghettos – seven more Jews found shelter in the homes of Bronius Jocevičius, Jonas Petrauskas, Jonas Janulaitis and Pranas Simokaitis. But Vytautas Žakovičius was too careless and too reliant – he wanted to help more fugitives and kept looking for safe places and recruiting assistants. He would assure his followers and all neighbours, who hesitated to take this path or who had been intimidated by Nazis, that there was nothing to fear. He would say that everything could be insured and formalised in documents.
A considerable group of strangers was quickly noticed in the village. Rumours about Vytautas Žakovičius’ activities soon spread around the neighbourhood and finally reached the Gestapo.
18 March 1944, an armed force of Nazis arrived at Gelgaudiškis. All fugitives and their rescuers were arrested. Jonas Janulaitis managed to escape. Simokaitis was taken by the fascists to Germany and went missing. Everybody else, including the noble village doctor Vytautas Žakovičius, was shot in the 9th Fort.
“Unarmed Fighters”. Ed. Sofija Binkienė. Vilnius, 1967
From the 17 October 1997 testimony of Jadvyga Žakovičaitė:
My, Jadvyga Žakovičaitė’s, father Vytautas Žakovičius lived in Pakalniškiai village, Gelgaudiškis subdistrict, Šakiai district. 19 March 1944, when I was visiting doc. Prof. J. Meškauskas on the occasion of his name-day, a phone call came in from Gelgaudiškis and I was told that father had been arrested.
As it appeared later, someone had informed the Nazi administration that Vytautas Žakovičius was hiding Jewish fugitives and was asking his neighbours to save Jews too. The police came, searched the houses and arrested all farmers who were hiding the Jews. Fugitives were found hiding at Vytautas Žakovičius too. He was arrested together with five more farmers.
As far as I know, V. Žakovičius was kept in Šakiai for some time, but when I finally managed to reach Šakiai a few days later, he was no longer there – they had taken him to Marijampolė prison. This might have happened at the end of March. I took food for him in Marijampolė prison several times. Roughly in the middle of April, he was transferred to Kaunas prison where I managed to talk to him when I was called in as a doctor. He was calm, rejoiced his children, considered to have accomplished his task in this life and was not afraid to die. He was a believer. My endeavour to redeem from the prison him was to no avail.
In June, he was transferred to the 9th Fort and I could no longer reach him. He was shot in the 9th Fort before the Germans retreated from Kaunas.
Shot in 1944 in the 9th Fort in Kaunas
From the testimony of doctor M. Ginkas:
In the autumn of 1943, doctor Š. Matusevičius and his 4 loved ones escaped from the Kaunas Ghetto, were ferried by their acquaintances to Gelgaudiškis, and found shelter at Vytautas Žakovičius in Pakalniškiai village. Outraged by the atrocities all around, Vytautas Žakovičius took care of the fugitives from the ghetto and hid them. He believed that such help was an important method of fight against fascism and against killing of innocent people. He started conveying his beliefs to other people. Encouraged by Žakovičius, many farmers soon opened their doors to the fugitives from the ghettos – seven more Jews found shelter in the homes of Bronius Jocevičius, Jonas Petrauskas, Jonas Janulaitis and Pranas Simokaitis. But Vytautas Žakovičius was too careless and too reliant – he wanted to help more fugitives and kept looking for safe places and recruiting assistants. He would assure his followers and all neighbours, who hesitated to take this path or who had been intimidated by Nazis, that there was nothing to fear. He would say that everything could be insured and formalised in documents.
A considerable group of strangers was quickly noticed in the village. Rumours about Vytautas Žakovičius’ activities soon spread around the neighbourhood and finally reached the Gestapo.
18 March 1944, an armed force of Nazis arrived at Gelgaudiškis. All fugitives and their rescuers were arrested. Jonas Janulaitis managed to escape. Simokaitis was taken by the fascists to Germany and went missing. Everybody else, including the noble village doctor Vytautas Žakovičius, was shot in the 9th Fort.
“Unarmed Fighters”. Ed. Sofija Binkienė. Vilnius, 1967
From the 17 October 1997 testimony of Jadvyga Žakovičaitė:
My, Jadvyga Žakovičaitė’s, father Vytautas Žakovičius lived in Pakalniškiai village, Gelgaudiškis subdistrict, Šakiai district. 19 March 1944, when I was visiting doc. Prof. J. Meškauskas on the occasion of his name-day, a phone call came in from Gelgaudiškis and I was told that father had been arrested.
As it appeared later, someone had informed the Nazi administration that Vytautas Žakovičius was hiding Jewish fugitives and was asking his neighbours to save Jews too. The police came, searched the houses and arrested all farmers who were hiding the Jews. Fugitives were found hiding at Vytautas Žakovičius too. He was arrested together with five more farmers.
As far as I know, V. Žakovičius was kept in Šakiai for some time, but when I finally managed to reach Šakiai a few days later, he was no longer there – they had taken him to Marijampolė prison. This might have happened at the end of March. I took food for him in Marijampolė prison several times. Roughly in the middle of April, he was transferred to Kaunas prison where I managed to talk to him when I was called in as a doctor. He was calm, rejoiced his children, considered to have accomplished his task in this life and was not afraid to die. He was a believer. My endeavour to redeem from the prison him was to no avail.
In June, he was transferred to the 9th Fort and I could no longer reach him. He was shot in the 9th Fort before the Germans retreated from Kaunas.