Alternate names: (Belarusian: Беразіно́), or Berezino (Russian: Березино́), also known as Biarezan (Бярэзань). 54º54' 28º12'. A town on the River Berezina in the Minsk Province with a 1998 population of 13,300. History. In 1897 of the 4871 residents, 3377 were Jews. By WWI, this large river port. mostly for salt and timber, also had a distillleryl industry, the Pototsky wine operation. During WWII, the Nazis occuptied the city and killed all Jews. Shtetl. The Berezino Jewish community dated from the 16th century. Jews of Berezino suffered pogroms during the Russian Civil and Soviet-Polish Wars. 1898 population of 1,900 was almost exclusively Jews (1,824). About 25% were artisans and laborers, chiefly loaders. Twenty-four Jewish families engaged in agriculture. The general economy was bad. June 14, 1897 the government introduced a monopoly on the wine trade leaving 99 Jewish families without means of support. 155 families depended upon charity for fuel; 210 applied in 1898 for charity during Passover with the number of such applicants increasing annually. In 1929-1930, some synagogues in the town were closed. In 1939, 1,530+ Jews living in Berezino were half the total population of the town captured on July 3, 1941 by the Nazis. The local Jews with all Jews from surrounding area were concentrated in the town's ghetto. Jewish history. photos. [February 2010]
MASS GRAVE: A mass murder operation from August - December 1941 or from January - February 1942 exterminated than 1,000 Jews, liquidating the ghetto. [February 2010]
Jewish cemetery: Destroyed by the Soviets in 1970, 2 gravestones remain visible. photo. February 2010]