Lahiszyn

From the 16th to the 18th Century, Łahiszyn belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, before becoming part of the Russian Empire in 1793. Jews probably began to settle in Łahiszyn sometime after 1643, when it had received the status of a town, although they were few in number. In 1897, Łahiszyn was home to 1,587 Jews, who made up approximately 48 percent of the total population. Most of the local Jews were artisans, petty traders, or peddlers. During WWI, as the front line moved closer to the town, the local Jews ran away. Although some of them returned in the early 1920s, the Jewish community failed to recover its former numbers, and it now comprised only 168 people, or about 8 percent of the total population.

From 1920 until 1939, Łahiszyn was under Polish rule. During that period, several Jewish political groups and organizations were active in the town. In 1939, Łahiszyn was annexed to the Soviet Union, becoming part of the Belorussian SSR.

The town was occupied by German troops on June 27, 1941. The local Jews were shot in August of the same year.

Łahiszyn was liberated by the Red Army on July 15, 1944.