Konela

Jews apparently began living in Konela in the second half of the 18th century. In 1897 the 744 Jews living in the village constituted 36.2 percent of the total population. Most of Konela's Jews were small-scale merchants or craftsmen. Jews figured prominently in the economic life of Konela on the eve of World War I, owning most of the shops in the village, as well as warehouses and a mill. Many Jews abandoned Konela during the 1920s and 1930s, migrating to larger towns and cities in search of educational and vocational opportunities. German troops occupied Konela and the surrounding area in mid-July 1941. About 80 Jews who remained were murdered on the eastern outskirts of the village in the winter of 1942. The Red Army liberated Konela in early January 1944.