Nemaksciai Jewish Cemetery
Cemetery Information
Historical overview
The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. However, given the oldest tombstone dates to the early 20th century, it can be assumed it was in use at that time.
Jews began to settle in Nemakščiai (Pl. Niemokszty, Yid. נעמאָקשט) in the 17th century. It is known that 12 adult Jews lived in the town in 1662. In 1897, the Jewish population was 954, or 81% of the total. Zionist organisations became active in the 1890s, and many of the Jews made aliyah. During WWI, the retreating Russian troops failed to expel the local Jewish community, which was their standard practice. The first census of the Independent Lithuanian state in 1923 counted 704 Jewish residents in Nemakščiai, or 69% of the town’s population. Between the World Wars, the number of the Jews in the town decreased as a result of emigration. There were about 70 Jewish families in Nemakščiai when WWII began. The town was briefly controlled by the Soviets in 1940-1941. When the Germans arrived, Jewish males over 15 were seized for forced labour and soon, on 24 July 1941, shot. The women and children were murdered in August 1941.
