Rudninkai forest Jewish resistance memory debated after Spiegel criticism

German news magazine Spiegel has published a thematic issue titled “Our War Against Russia,” which includes an article criticising Lithuania for its approach to preserving the memory of Jews who fought against the Nazis in the Rudninkai forest, according to a report by LRT.lt.

The article highlights that Jews, having endured the horrors of the ghettos and facing certain death, joined Soviet partisan groups in the Rudninkai forest as their only means of survival. Spiegel questions how Lithuania handles the legacy of these Jewish partisans, noting that they are often regarded as “enemies of the state” in the country.

Lithuanian historians have responded to the criticism. Historian Zigmas Vitkus described the Spiegel article as tendentious and distorting reality. He emphasised that while memorial signs for these Jewish fighters could be erected, it is crucial to understand the complex history of the Rudninkai forest, where multiple armed groups operated. Vitkus stressed the importance of an objective evaluation of history, respecting all victims.

Nerijus Šepetys, a historian at Vilnius University, pointed out that the title of the thematic issue itself reflects a totalitarian perspective. He noted that during the first two years of World War II, the Soviet Union and Germany collaborated, with Germany taking a leading role in destroying states between them and committing violent acts against local populations, including looting, ghettoisation, deportations, and imprisonments.

Šepetys added that there is a significant difference between people voluntarily joining the communist side and those fleeing to the forest to save their lives and finding refuge with those who accepted them. He also mentioned that publications like Spiegel push the narrative back to the late 20th century when such topics were avoided in Lithuania.

Historian Arūnas Bubnys of the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania stated that an informational board commemorating Jewish resistance may appear in the Rudninkai forest.

The debate underscores the need to acknowledge the suffering of Jews who resisted the Nazis and the complexity of the historical context in which they fought alongside Soviet partisans.