Lyntupy

The presence of Jews in Łyntupy dates to the 19th Century. Only in the second half of the 19th Century was the Łyntupy Jewish community formally established. By the end of that century, this small town was home to 238 Jews, who made up 34.7 percent of its total population. Łyntupy suffered during World War I, but the local Jews managed to restore its economy after the war. In 1921, Łyntupy became part of the Polish Republic. In 1931, there were about 70 Jewish families living in the town.

In September 1939, following the outbreak of World War II, the Soviets occupied Łyntupy. The Sovietization of the economy – in particular, the nationalization of trade and the deportation of several affluent artisans eastward – led to economic decline.

In June 1941, the Soviet-German War began, and the Wehrmacht occupied Łyntupy in the first days of July. Anti-Jewish orders followed, and forced labor was imposed on the local community. Individual killings of Jews took place. A small ghetto was established in the town. In April 1942, the Germans incorporated Łyntupy into the so-called General Commissariat of Lithuania (Generalkommissariat Litauen), and the town came to be controlled by the Lithuanian police. A short while later, some of the Jews of Łyntupy were moved to the nearby Święciany Ghetto; a little over 100 Jews remained in the town.

On December 18, 1942, the last 93 inmates of the Łyntupy Ghetto, which had been transformed into a labor camp, were shot at the southern edge of the town.

Łyntupy was liberated by the Red Army on July 6, 1944.