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Holocaust Victims and Nazi Victims Burial Site in Steponių Forest

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Steponių Forest, located just 5 km from Rokiškis, serves as a grim reminder of the Holocaust tragedy and the suffering of Nazi victims. In the summer of 1941, hundreds of people, including Jews, Russians, and Lithuanians, were murdered here. The arrests that began on June 29 culminated in mass executions, and on July 8, 108 young Jews, purportedly being transported for labor in Biržai, were shot. After the war, a monument commemorating 981 victims of fascist terror was erected. This site serves as a solemn reminder of the atrocities and invites us to reflect on the lessons of history.

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Historical Heritage
Rokiškis Tourism Information Center

How to get there?

Directions: Drive from Rokiškis towards Čedasai (road 3604). About 3 km from the town, you will reach Steponių village. There are no signs. Turn right after the first homestead and drive down the forest path. In the forest, keep to the main road. Make a left turn, drive about 300 meters, and turn left again. At the turn, there is a sign prohibiting grass burning. The monument is about 20 meters ahead.

56.003924, 25.560976

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Steponių Forest is one of the most somber Holocaust memorial sites in Lithuania, situated about 5 km from Rokiškis. During the first weeks of the Nazi occupation, from June 27 to August 14, 1941, mass murders were carried out, targeting Soviet activists, communists, Komsomol members, and hundreds of members of the Jewish community. This tragedy reflects the systematic repression against various ethnic and political groups at the time. The arrests that started on June 29 led to mass executions in Steponių Forest. On July 8, 108 Jewish youths, aged between 14 and 30, were taken allegedly for work in Biržai, but they were all shot on the same day. Subsequently, according

to a report by the German security police, the number of victims was established to be 981, including 493 Jews, 432 Russians, and 56 Lithuanians. These victims symbolize not only the tragedy of Steponių Forest but also broader crimes committed in the Rokiškis district during the Nazi occupation. After the war, a monument was erected in Steponių Forest, bearing an inscription commemorating 981 victims of fascist terror. This site now attracts history enthusiasts and individuals dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust, urging not just a remembrance of past sufferings but also a lesson from these painful events to prevent such tragedies from reoccurring.

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2025-11-17

Holocaust Victims and Nazi Victims Burial Site in Steponių Forest

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