Holocaust mass grave found in Belarus

The remains of 12 adults and 11 children were uncovered in Strešyn, a town occupied by the Nazis, where Jews accounted for nearly 30% of the population in 1939

Belarus' servicemen excavate a mass grave for the prisoners of a Jewish ghetto set up by the Nazis during World War II in the city of Brest. Sergei Gapon/Getty
Belarus' servicemen excavate a mass grave for the prisoners of a Jewish ghetto set up by the Nazis during World War II in the city of Brest. Sergei Gapon/Getty

A mass grave containing 23 bodies has been discovered in Belarus.

The remains of 12 adults and 11 children between the ages of one and seven were uncovered in the town of Strešyn, located in the country’s south-eastern Gomel region, where around 40,000 Jews lived in 1939.

It is believed the 23 victims died in the local ghetto, which was occupied by Nazi Germany troops in August 1941 and suffered high mortality rates due to appalling conditions.

Whilst no evidence of execution was found, keys and a rusty rifle bullet were discovered.

Belarus media reported that a local man who bought a house in Strešyn about 15 years ago discovered the bodies during works carried out on the grounds. But, claims JBN, he chose not to report the find to anyone, even though he and many of the local residents knew that these were the remains of Jews who died in the local ghetto.

Between 3,000 and 4,000 Holocaust victims are thought to have come from Gomel.

In 2019, as reported by Jewish News, the bones of around 1,000 bodies were found in a mass grave in the Belarusian city of Brest during construction work.

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