Skidel's History

Not a lot is known about the history of Skidel and what there is all but ignores the Jewish citizens of the town. Only a few sources have emerged so far though researchers at the Grodno and Minsk Archives in Belarus will hopefully uncover more. The following account of Skidel's history was compiled from sources currently available (cited below). I would appreciate any additions or corrections. Please email me with your comments.

Skidel is located in an area that frequently shifted between Polish and Russian control. It was along the invasion routes taken by Napoleon in 1810 and by the Germans in both World Wars I and II. Skidel's Jewish citizens arrived in the mid-18th century. By 1765 there were 463 Jews recorded in Skidel, increasing to 1,080 in 1847 and 2,222 by 1897. By the opening of the 20th century, Skidel was 80% Jewish.

Earliest History

The word "skidal" means "shore" in Belarussian. The town of Skidel may have been named for the process of shipping freight across the Skidalski River. Apparently the bridge at Skidel was very poor and freight was left on the shore to be carried across by ferry.

The first mention of the town of Skidel is in the mid-16th century. At that time, Skidel was the largest city and seat of a feudal raion in the Lithuanian principality. Records of the period reveal conflicts between Skidel's peasants and the noble family which held royal title to the land. In 1555 a peasant named Lavrin sued the boyar (noble) Ganutich to reclaim land given to his father. Lavrin prevailed in the suit. Two years later several Skidel peasants filed a complaint against the constable for illegally seizing land. In response, the Lithuanian prince Sigismund carried out Skidel's first known agrarian reform that same year. Land was divided into parcels of about 21 hectares, with 24 parcels allotted to the "court" of Skidel, Skidel's noble family.

Because of its location on the major trade route between Grodno and Slonim, Skidel gradually became a commercial center. In the first half of the 17th century, 21% of Skidel's population were tradesmen, blacksmiths, coopers, and seamsters though the town appears to have suffered a decline of both population and trade between 1650 and 1750.

The Russian Period

In the third repartition of Poland in 1795, Skidel (population 1394) became part of Russia, sometimes as part of the Lithuanian Guberniya (governing district) and other times as part of the Grodno Guberniya. 1795 was also a turning point for the town of Skidel, as it emerged from a sleepy, slow-growth period and began sprouting factories. By 1812, Napoleon's army occupied Skidel and ordered the construction of storehouses to hold confiscated livestock and feed. It may be these very structures that later became Skidel's first leather factories when the Russian government began offering loans for factories to make leather saddles and boots for its army.

The first such factory in Skidel was begun by a Mr. Daikhel about 1830. Local records tell of many fairs and markets in Skidel in the early 19th century, revealing a vibrant commercial life. Skidel's business class operated not only leather factories, but grain and timber businesses, wineries and breweries, and a variety of retail trades and crafts. Jewish craft guilds appeared around 1800. Major employers at the end of the 19th century included leather and footwear factories owned by Daikhel (25), Brenner (35), Garfinkel (25), Sarnatzki (44), and Rozental (30). A small winery also claimed 8 employees. All together, 9 Skidel businesses employed 210 workers in 1900.

Jews became prominent in local politics around 1900, establishing political trade unions and a Zionist movement. During World War I, the Russian army destroyed much Jewish property but Jewish parties remained active after the War (under Polish rule) and even organized an independent town council and workers' committee. In the 1927 elections, Skidel chose a Jewish mayor and 8 Jewish representatives on the 12-seat town council.

Though Skidel's population doubled during the 19th century, growth slowed after 1900 when many Jews emigrated to the United States and elsewhere. It appears the wealthiest citizens were among the first to leave, as the largest 16 businesses on the eve of World War I employed just 72 people. The following chart shows the recorded total population and Jewish population for selected years from 1765 until 1931:

Date Total Population Number of Jews
1765 463
1795 1394
1833 1277
1847 1080
1878 1525 1062
1897 2790 2222
1921 2971 2231
1931 3500 2800

World War II and the Holocaust

Although there is still a town of Skidel today, the shtetl of Skidel was destroyed during World War II. Skidel's location along major roads and rail lines on the Nazi march east brought it into the War early. The Nazis occupied Skidel on June 24, 1941, bombing Skidel's small airport and town center. The Russian Army had retreated in advance of the Nazi arrival. Several thousand Jews from Skidel and the surrounding area were forced into a ghetto not far from the cemetery and cordoned off until the Nazis marched them to Kielbasin Concentration Camp in November or December. The transports to Auschwitz and Treblinka came quickly. Every day a train left for Treblinka and every other day, one for Auschwitz. Within a few weeks, the Kielbasin Camp was empty. (See the article, "Belarus Students Research Grodno Ghetto" for an account of this period.) According to Mr. Joseph Pluskalowski, Skidel's only living Jewish survivor, 8500 Jews from the Skidel area were transported to Auschwitz and only 5 survived. Most were exterminated immediately, with just 300 men and 150 women selected out for the camps. Mr. Pluskalowski was 18 years old at the time.

The Soviet Period

After World War II, Skidel once again became a part of Russia (now USSR). All traces of Skidel's past as a Jewish shtetl were rapidly disappearing. The town center, home to yeshivas, synagogues, factories, hospitals, and homes, was never rebuilt. The remaining people of Skidel dismantled the crowded Jewish cemetery, using the stones for their homes. Locals from Grodno report that Skidel became the region's "Red City", referring to a regional Communist Party headquarters. When we visited in 1996 (see "Town without Memory"), there was a strong military presence and many who had only recently moved to the town.

Skidel today has a train station, a rebuilt Catholic Church, a sugar refinery, a poultry factory, and an agricultural commune. There are few signs of the vital commercial activity evident in the 1928 Business Directory.

References:

"Skidel Communal History", Encyclopedia Judaica, 1972, Keter Publishing House Jerusalem Ltd., Jerusalem, Israel.

Borisov, Ilya Alexandrovich, "Skidel", Historical Documentary Chronicle of Grodno Raion, Grodno Belarussian Publishing House, 1993, by , 32-33.

Zhuchkevich, V.A., "Skidel's Past", Grodno State University, 1985.

Suvorina, Grib, Tolkach, and Suvorina", Belarus Students Research Grodno Ghetto", 1997, I EARN's HGP.

Hugle, Linda, Interview with Mr. Joseph Pluskalowski, February 9, 1996.

I am particularly indebted to Mr. Ilya Alexandrovich Borisov, Skidel historian, for his generous provision of historical material.