Lazdijai () is a small town in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
located about east of the border with
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
.
History
It was established by
Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus ( pl, Zygmunt II August, lt, Žygimantas Augustas; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first ruler ...
in 1570 and granted Magdeburg Rights by
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa ( pl, Zygmunt III Waza, lt, Žygimantas Vaza; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632
N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden and Grand Duke of Finland from 1592 to ...
in 1587.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Lazdijai was under
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
occupation from 22 June 1941 until 31 July 1944.
Освобождение городов
/ref> On November 3, 1941, 1,535 Jews were murdered in Lazdijai, including 485 men, 511 women and 539 children
The perpetrators were members of the Rollkommando Hamann
''Rollkommando'' Hamann ( lt, skrajojantis būrys) was a small mobile unit that committed mass murders of Lithuanian Jews in the countryside in July–October 1941, with an estimated death toll of at least 60,000 Jews. The unit was also responsible ...
, local policemen and Lithuanian nationalists.
In 1990 Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, and new check points between the borders Poland and Lithuania were established and Lazdijai became the center that oversees and continues to regulate these operations. It is the birthplace of Lithuanian politician and producer Arūnas Valinskas
Arūnas Valinskas (born 28 November 1966 in Lazdijai) is a Lithuanian showman, TV producer, TV show host and politician. As the leader of the National Resurrection Party, he was elected to the Seimas, Lithuanian parliament, in the 2008 Lith ...
and of Russian-American composer and violinist Joseph Achron
Joseph Yulyevich Achron, also seen as Akhron (Russian: Иосиф Юльевич Ахрон, Hebrew: יוסף אחרון) (May 1, 1886April 29, 1943) was a Russian-born Jewish composer and violinist, who settled in the United States. His preoccu ...
.
Gallery
Lazdijai.jpg, Independence Square in Lazdijai
Lazdijai, aikštė prie bažnyčios.JPG, Square near the church
Lazdijai, meno mokykla.JPG, School of Arts in Lazdijai
Lazdijai, skveras.JPG, Square near the Cultural Centre of Lazdijai
Lazdijai, švietimo centras.JPG, Education Centre of Lazdijai
Lazdijai, policija.JPG, Police station in Lazdijai
Lazdijai, mokykla Vyturėlis.JPG, School Vyturėlis in Lazdijai
Lazdijai, sporto centras.JPG, Sports Centre of Lazdijai
References
External links
The murder of the Jews of Lazdijai
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, at Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...
website.
Cities in Lithuania
Cities in Alytus County
Lithuania–Poland border crossings
Municipalities administrative centres of Lithuania
Suwałki Governorate
Holocaust locations in Lithuania
{{AlytusCounty-geo-stub