Rokiskis Property Owners and Renters, 1921

Transcribed by Steven Weiss

A Rokiskis street plan and accompanying list of property owners and renters for 1921 was obtained by Phil Shapiro while on a visit to Rokiskis in 1997. Each property was assigned a lot number apparently for tax purposes. The original documents are housed in the Tizenhof Museum of Rokiskis:Rokiskio Krasto Muziejus, Tyzenhauzu al. 5, 48200 Lithuania.

The list of names is in handwritten Lithuanian. Some of the names were too difficult to read and have been left out. The street map shows the area surrounding the marketplace in the center of town, which is where most of the Jews of Rakishok lived. Count Jan Pshezdetsky owned one third of the lots. Count Jan Pshezdetsky is described in the Rakishok Yizkor book as a Polish lord who "owned all of Rokiskis" including the famous church which stood across from the marketplace. Persons who were renting from Count Pshezdetsky are indicated with (r). I have not included unoccupied lots owned by the count.

The following entry for Rakishok from Pinkas Hakehillot Lita* gives a perspective on what the shtetl looked like in the early 1920’s:

Until the First World War, Rakishok was a county capital in the Novaleksandrovsk (Zarasai) Province. During the German occupation (1915-1918) Rakishok became the provincial capital. When the Germans departed they burnt the railway station. On the 13th of December, 1918, a Soviet government was installed which lasted until June 1919. Even during the period of an independent Lithuania, Rakishok retained its urban rights as well as its status as the provincial capital and continued to flourish. Roads and alleys were paved and sidewalks were completed. The number of houses increased and in 1923 there were 29 streets with a total of 10k., 551 houses (of which 48 were built of stone). There was a power station, three flourmills, a woodcutting mill, a dairy, a factory for starch production, a metalworking factory, a hospital with 65 beds, and two pharmacies. The town boasted ten doctors. In 1918 a progymnasium was established which in 1919 became a full-fledged gymnasium (high school).

*Pp. 646-653 written by Raphael Julius. Ed. Dov Levin published by Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, 1996. Translated for the Rokiskis SIG by Haim Pogrund.

Map photos below

NOTE: These documents have been translated from hand-written Lithuanian and the letters are not always clear.

Lot #	Name	Lot #	Name
9	Government	95	M. Milneras (r)
10	Adomas Talachas	96	Leja Gosolociene?
11	J. Levinas	97	Sora Reiza Rebiene
12	Isakus Sarvaras	98	Jankelis Karkas
15	Mendelis Jalowetskias	99	Noehamas Lebuvicas
16	Leiba Lebuchas	100	Riva Sajatoviciene
18	Jonas Rubakas	104	Mikvah (r)
19	N. Rubakas	105	Zalmanas Zametas (r)
20	Jonas Rubakas	106	Israelis Shrobisas
22	Israelis Langas	107	Zelikas Simelovicias
24	Pesachas Ruchas	108	Judelis Portnas
26	Leib Swartas	110	S. Orelovicias (r)
39	Government	111	Calelis Kaplanas
41	C. Rabinovicias (r)	112	Israelis Cindelas
43	Zolumanas Edelsonas	113	Rachmala Icikmanas
44	Zachurmanas Ruchas	114	Sejelis Gulanas
45	Joselis Poplakas	115	Jankelas Girsa Kuras
48	Z. Gurvicias	116	Zelebia Riviene
49	Joselis Meller	117	Mendelis Levinas
50	Abram Meller	118	Mendelis Gaffonivcias
51	Abramas Milleras	119	M. Shusteras (r)
55	Government	120	B. Milleras (r)
60	Teodoras Geras?	121	G. Chmelukas (r)
61	Abramas Mejerovicias	122	Joselis Gornas
62	Leizeris Gurvicias	123	Gisa Kuras
63	Mrs. Kepeloviciene (r)	124	Leja Rosenboviciene (r)
64	Mrs. Pavorineciene	125	Synagogue
66	Mausas Talas	126	Israelis Sniegas (r)
67	Mejeras Jauselis?	128	Penas Kupermanas
68	M. Berka Katcias	129	Leiba Yoselovicias (r)
69	Mejeras Katcias	131	Berka Berelovicias (r)
70	Zacharis Katcias	132	Mendelis Rosenbovicias
71	Mrs. Katciene	133	Chania Nachmoviciene
72	Abaramas Mejervicas	135	Besselis Zametas
73	Nachumas Braumernas	139	Solomanas Vejneras
74	Gendelis Charmatas	142	G. Swarzbergas
75	Jankelis Krokas	143	M. Eidelmanas (r)
76	Mausa Bederas	144	G. Zaugas (r)
78	Grisa Kaplanas (r)	145	B. Baras (r)
79	Girselig Orelovicias (r)	146	Vulfo Lubovicias
80	Mala Sopasnikas	147	Jankelis Jakubsonas
81	Grisa Saperas	148	Joselis Levinas (r)
82	Smulka Vengerianas	149	M. Orelovicias
83	M. Rivas	150	J. Kuras (r)
84	Abramas Rivas	151	Riva Klasiene (r)
85	Dovidas Zilbermanas	152	Pine Chajtovicias
86	Synagogue	153	Mira Gurviciene
87	Synagogue	154	Shmuelis Kuras (r)
88	Synagogue	156	Berka Vengerianas (r)
89	O. Oreloviciene	157	Abramas Shobineras
90	Valfos Krokas	158	Abramas Patas
91	Jaffe Girsas	159	Ele Vaineriene
94	J. Vengrinas (r)	161	Pesachas Ruchas

Note: Slava Krukas has identified #105, Zalmanas Zalmetas, as her grandfather and #135, Besselis Zametas, as her uncle.
Note: Samuil Meller identified #49 as Yoselis Meller and #50 as Abram Meller (Abram was his grandfather and Yoselis -Yossel was his great-uncle)

Lots 30-37 and 162-249 were unoccupied at the time the map was drawn up.

Full Map

Click on the map to see a larger version.

These were scanned in quarters as the original was too large to read easily in one piece.
Click to see an enlargement of each.

Special thanks to SIG member Ada Gamsu for having these rescanned in a better format.

Map 1	Map 2

Map 3	Map 4

Original List 1	Original List 2

Click on the list to see a larger version.

A new color version of this map was recently obtained by Ellen Cassedy.
This was scanned in thirds. Click on each section to see an enlargement.

Map Cover	Color Map 1	Color Map 2	Color Map 3

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