Journey through a painful past: Hitler, Lenin and Stalin look towards the walls of the Macikai camp

The surviving Macikai camp building is greeted by a lock on the door. People are admitted here, but only if they agree to a tour in advance, says Mantas Užgalis, an archaeologist at the Šilutė Hugo Šojus museum who is admitting us to the camp.

First the Nazis, then the Soviets

The Nazis established a prisoner of war camp at Macikai in 1941. Prisoners were treated unequally here, more severely with Soviet soldiers, as they were not subject to the 1929 regime. Rules of the Geneva Convention relating to the treatment of prisoners of war. The prisoner of war camp operated until 1943. The exact number of deaths of Soviet prisoners of war during this period is unknown.

In 1944, the Soviets occupied Lithuania for the second time and a new order was established in Macikai: Three independent camps appeared here: a correctional colony, a prisoner of war camp, and a special prisoner of war hospital.

Officially, “Lager No. 184” was established in 1945. On May 1, and other data on April 1, it housed some 3,000 troops. The Germans and their allies were imprisoned there. Most of the prisoners were German soldiers taken prisoner in the Curonian Spit, as well as Romanians, Hungarians, Austrians, Czechs, Lithuanians and of other nationalities.

Next to the prisoner of war camp no. 184 and special hospitals at 2652 in Macikai in 1945-1955. there was a GULAG unit of the Soviet NKVD (MVD) in the Soviet Union, called the 3rd Labor Correctional Colony, later the 3rd Camp Division.

1952 According to the data, it was one of the largest camps in occupied Lithuania. Its territory covered 5 hectares. About 3,000 people could be detained here at the same time.

1948 after closing the camp no. 184 and 2652 special hospital, the territory of the 3rd Division expanded. 1952 According to the data, it was one of the largest camps in occupied Lithuania. Its territory covered 5 hectares. About 3,000 people could be detained here at the same time.

Civilians, political prisoners and criminals unfaithful to the Soviet government were imprisoned in the camp. Most of the prisoners in the camp were disabled. They were brought not only from Lithuania, but also from prisons in the eastern USSR. The territory of the camp contained all the necessary Soviet attributes: barracks, a detention center, a sanitary part, etc.

“He showed such humanism”

M.Užgalis smiles sadly because those who would not have made a difficult journey “to the white bears” due to their state of health: “The Soviets displayed such” humanism. “Many intellectuals, women with children, pregnant women were imprisoned here.

“As far as is known from the testimonies, the criminal offenders were later tried to be imprisoned, but they were more privileged,” said the archaeologist.

Currently, only one camp building has survived, and it is not known exactly how many there were in total. According to the available topographic photographs, what the territory was like when the Nazis arrived, this building did not exist, it had to be built during the Soviet era. “It just caught our eye then. Documents, certificates. Since the territory was closed here, strangers were not allowed in,” said M.Užgalis.

After the camp closed during the Soviet era, foster homes for people with mental disabilities were established in some of the buildings, and people now live nearby. However, M. Užgalis does not hide that nobody took care to collect the testimonies of his contemporaries, therefore, it is planned to do so now; It is a problem that some of them have not received them these days. Americans, whose military aviation soldiers were jailed here, have also done a lot of research.

There is a lack of data to say exactly. Documents, certificates. Since the territory was closed here, strangers were not allowed in, M.Užgalis said.

Cows grazed in the cemetery.

Nearby – a cemetery. According to M. Užgalis, the fenced territory is more symbolic, because the cemetery was undoubtedly much larger, and burials far from the fence were found during archaeological investigation. However, during the Soviet era, cows grazed here and tractors drove here.

“This place is unique in that both totalitarian regimes had established their prisoner of war camps here. In Lithuania it is quite unique, in Eastern Europe there are such places. It seems that in Poland, near Olsztynek, there is something similar. This place really needs due attention and is currently being done across the country. We have a plan to renovate the exhibits in the prison cell.

It is planned to install educational spaces in another building near the red bricks. But to get everything in order correctly, the cemetery itself also needs more detailed archaeological and historical research. The Šilutė municipality and district museum have started these works. Last year, we conducted an inventory of the cemetery. At that time, American archaeologists accidentally and unexpectedly joined us, they had other goals, but thanks to their research, we discovered that there are large burial areas behind the cemetery fence, “said M. Užgalis.

Soviet victims are believed to have been buried in the current marked cemetery area, and the Nazis established the cemetery even further. Several prisoners who died in this camp were also found in Armalėnai, where victims from other POW camps were also buried.

This place is unique because both totalitarian regimes had established POW camps here. In Lithuania it is quite unique, in Eastern Europe there are such places.

There is no exact number of how many people died here. Examination of the surviving records of deceased prisoners revealed that in 1948-1955. 372 people and 72 children were killed. Often 7-8 people were buried in a well.

Some tombs already have monuments in the cemetery, but, according to the museum archaeologist in Šilutė, the person whose name is engraved on the monument is not necessarily found in that tomb; data is also missing here. There are also bigger monuments built by different countries for their own dead prisoners and soldiers, therefore not only the stripes of the Lithuanian flag, but also the Polish and American flags fluttering in the cemetery.

During the Soviet era, nobody intended to perpetuate this place, under the guise of a land reclamation project, the cemetery was to be completely destroyed, but this did not happen. But there were cows grazing and tractors riding. Only when the political situation heated up did the pension staff take care of the graves, and after Lithuania regained its independence, organizations of political prisoners and deportees also began to take care of them.

Exposure remains modest.

The exposure inside the building is quite modest. In the first room you will find portraits of Hitler, Lenin and Stalin. According to M.Užgalis, this is an attempt to show both modes. In others, the exhibits illustrate the different periods of the field’s existence.

“There is a museum exhibit here. In fact, it requires an audit, it is planned to be done soon. It is planned to adapt, overcome, make an attractive place for dark tourism to visit. We have received American and British attention before,” said the archaeologist.

Here is the museum exhibition. Requires an audit, is scheduled to do so soon.

In the camp that operated during the war and the post-war years, no accidents could be made, M.Užgalis said: “Here is the tragic story of an American, Walter Nies. The camp had a curfew, barracks open in the morning and barracks closed at night. On a long summer day, this American woke up early in the morning, thinking the curfew was over, went out and shot him without warning. As far as we know, the Germans investigated the incident and imposed a kind of penalty on that guard. “

Last May, the government approved a plan for the management of the Macikai camp area. The layout of the camp complex is planned in several stages. First, reverently exhume and bury 700 remains of 700 camp victims found in the nearby town of Armalėnai.

Later, it is planned to form a unique territory of 4.7 hectares for the development of museum and memorial activities: to renovate the remaining basement, rebuild the sauna, install a parking lot, lighting, information booths and a plaza for various events. The renovation work is expected to be completed in 2024 and will cost around $ 2.43 million. euros

The journalists’ tour to Minor Lithuania was organized by the National Tourism Promotion Agency “Travel in Lithuania”. The content of the article is not affected.