Alternate names: Papilė [Lith], Popelyan [Yid], Popelyany [Rus], Popielany [Pol], Popelian, Papilės, Popyle, Russian: Попеляны. פּאָפּעליאַן-Yiddish. 56°09' N, 22°48' E, 25 miles NW of Šiauliai (Shavl), 24 miles ENE of Telšiai (Telz). Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), VIII, p. 784: "Popielany". This town in the southern part of Akmene region was mentioned in the written sources starting 1253.
CEMETERY: Only 4 stones remain with two legible. Source: Dr. Feigmanis forwarded by Judi Langer Caplan; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Aleksandrs Feigmanis, Kahovkas 2-12 LV-1021, Riga. [date?]
UPDATE:The cemetery in Papile was built on a bluff overlooking a bend in the river, which is gradually eroding its bank and eventually will undermine part of the town. The Lithuanians threw the Jewish tombstones down to the river hoping either to reinforce the bank or dam the river forcing it to move away from the town. The stones were all swept away. A handful of stones remain at the top of the bluff with the standard memorial plaque. Source: Len Yodaiken: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [date?]
HOLOCAUST: At the beginning of July, all the Jews were relocated to one neighbourhood in Zagare, which was declared a ghetto and cordoned off by an unguarded barbed wire fence. Surviving Jews were brought to Zagare from Kursenai, Papile, Tryskiai, Joniskis, Zeimelis, Kriukai, Radviliskis, Saukenai, Kelme, Tirksliai, Krakes, Joniskelis, Linkuva, Pakruojis, Laukuvas, Lygumai and other places. A total of seven thousand Jews were gathered in the ghetto during this period. [March 2009]