Born in Akmenė, Lithuania on 6 January 1894[1] and later educated in Moscow, Šimaitė became a librarian at Vilnius University in 1940. In 1941, the Nazis invaded Lithuania and created the Vilna Ghetto. She began entering the ghetto under the pretext of recovering library books from Jewish university students. Over the next three years, she smuggled small arms (helped by Kazys Boruta, amongst others) as well as food and other provisions; smuggled out literary and historical documents for the Paper Brigade; and also served as a mail carrier for ghetto inhabitants, connecting them with the outside world. She also found people who would forge documents for Jews, offered her home as a temporary refuge for Jews, and smuggled Jewish children out of the ghetto to families that she found who agreed to hide them.
In April 1944, the Gestapo arrested Šimaitė and tortured her. A ransom paid by the rector of the university spared her from immediate execution, and she was deported to Dachau concentration camp in Germany, then later transferred to an internment camp at Ludelange in France. After the camp was liberated by the Allies, Šimaitė remained in France, working as a librarian, except for a period from 1953 to 1956 spent in Israel.
Šimaitė died outside of Paris on 17 January 1970[1] and, per her request, her body was donated to science. In 2015, Lithuania's first street named in honor of a Righteous Among the Nations was unveiled in Vilnius;[3] the street is named Šimaitės Street, after Šimaitė.[3]
Careeredit
Šimaitė worked as a cataloger in the Vilnius University Library from 1940-1944.[4] After the war, she moved to Paris and continued to work in a library while corresponding with friends, intellectuals, and public figures around the world.[5] In an October 2,1957 letter to her friend Marijona Čilvinaitė, Šimaitė referred to librarianship as "the beloved profession."[4] Šimaitė was honored for her lifelong career as a librarian by the American Library Association in 2021.[6]
^ ab"Lithuania's first street honoring Holocaust Righteous unveiled in Vilnius | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". Jta.org. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
^ abŠukys, Julija (2012). Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Simaite. University of Nebraska Press. p. 164. ISBN978-0-8032-3632-5.
^Šukys, Julija (2012). Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Simaite. University of Nebraska Press. p. 24. ISBN978-0-8032-3632-5.
^American Library Association (26 January 2021). "Tribute Resolution Honoring Ona Šimaitė" (PDF). Retrieved 15 March 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External linksedit
Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Simaite, by Julija Sukys
Ona Šimaitė papers at the Hoover Institution Archives
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Ona Simaite, Joop Westerweel, Irena Sendlerowa
Stankevičius, Rimantas (2004). "Name, that became legend (Vardas, tapęs legenda)". Genocidas Ir Rezistencija (in Lithuanian). 15 (1). Retrieved 31 March 2008.
This Lithuanian biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Šimaitė, january, 1894, january, 1970, lithuanian, librarian, vilnius, university, used, position, rescue, jews, vilna, ghetto, during, world, recognized, righteous, among, nations, born6, january, 1894, akmenė, died17, january, 1970, aged, cormeilles, parisis. Ona Simaite 6 January 1894 17 January 1970 was a Lithuanian librarian at Vilnius University who used her position to aid and rescue Jews in the Vilna Ghetto during World War II She is recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations Ona SimaiteBorn6 January 1894 Akmene Died17 January 1970 aged 76 Cormeilles en Parisis OccupationLibrarian translator AwardsRighteous Among the Nations Lithuania 1966 Ona Simaite Contents 1 Life 2 Career 3 Notes 4 References 5 External linksLife edit nbsp Plaque in Vilnius honoring SimaiteBorn in Akmene Lithuania on 6 January 1894 1 and later educated in Moscow Simaite became a librarian at Vilnius University in 1940 In 1941 the Nazis invaded Lithuania and created the Vilna Ghetto She began entering the ghetto under the pretext of recovering library books from Jewish university students Over the next three years she smuggled small arms helped by Kazys Boruta amongst others as well as food and other provisions smuggled out literary and historical documents for the Paper Brigade and also served as a mail carrier for ghetto inhabitants connecting them with the outside world She also found people who would forge documents for Jews offered her home as a temporary refuge for Jews and smuggled Jewish children out of the ghetto to families that she found who agreed to hide them In April 1944 the Gestapo arrested Simaite and tortured her A ransom paid by the rector of the university spared her from immediate execution and she was deported to Dachau concentration camp in Germany then later transferred to an internment camp at Ludelange in France After the camp was liberated by the Allies Simaite remained in France working as a librarian except for a period from 1953 to 1956 spent in Israel On 15 March 1966 the Israeli organisation Yad Vashem recognized Simaite as a Righteous Among the Nations planting a tree in her honour 1 2 Simaite died outside of Paris on 17 January 1970 1 and per her request her body was donated to science In 2015 Lithuania s first street named in honor of a Righteous Among the Nations was unveiled in Vilnius 3 the street is named Simaites Street after Simaite 3 Career editSimaite worked as a cataloger in the Vilnius University Library from 1940 1944 4 After the war she moved to Paris and continued to work in a library while corresponding with friends intellectuals and public figures around the world 5 In an October 2 1957 letter to her friend Marijona Cilvinaite Simaite referred to librarianship as the beloved profession 4 Simaite was honored for her lifelong career as a librarian by the American Library Association in 2021 6 Notes editThis article incorporates text from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and has been released under the GFDL References edit a b c Simaite Ona The Righteous Among the Nations Database Yad Vashem Retrieved 25 October 2023 File M 31 2 191 a b Lithuania s first street honoring Holocaust Righteous unveiled in Vilnius Jewish Telegraphic Agency Jta org 25 September 2015 Retrieved 26 September 2015 a b Sukys Julija 2012 Epistolophilia Writing the Life of Ona Simaite University of Nebraska Press p 164 ISBN 978 0 8032 3632 5 Sukys Julija 2012 Epistolophilia Writing the Life of Ona Simaite University of Nebraska Press p 24 ISBN 978 0 8032 3632 5 American Library Association 26 January 2021 Tribute Resolution Honoring Ona Simaite PDF Retrieved 15 March 2024 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link External links editEpistolophilia Writing the Life of Ona Simaite by Julija Sukys Ona Simaite papers at the Hoover Institution Archives United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Ona Simaite Joop Westerweel Irena Sendlerowa Stankevicius Rimantas 2004 Name that became legend Vardas tapes legenda Genocidas Ir Rezistencija in Lithuanian 15 1 Retrieved 31 March 2008 nbsp This Lithuanian biographical article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ona Simaite amp oldid 1213902161, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
