German-Jewish Cultural Heritage

The history of Jews in Lithuania is six centuries old. It stretches from its early beginnings in the 14th century to its heyday in the early 20th century - before its bloody end during the Nazi occupation.

Sisters Margarete and Maria Holzman were teenage girls when the Nazis invaded Lithuania. Only Margarete survived the Holocaust. Their mother Helene was part of a network courageous people who helped persecuted Jews.

Only a tiny fraction of the Jewish population survived the Holocaust in Lithuania. Today, many of the survivors are sick and require social support. DW visits with the Jewish community in Vilnius.