ŁUNNA (aka WOLA OR ŁUNNA-WOLA)

Pre-1939: Łunna, village, Grodno powiat, Białystok województwo, Poland; 1939–1941: Lunna, Skidel’ raion, Belostok oblast’, Belorussian SSR; 1941–1944: Kreis Grodno, Distrikt Bialystok; post-1991: Lunna, Masty raen, Hrodna voblasts’, Republic of Belarus Łunna lies on the Niemen River about 35 kilometers (21.8 miles) southeast of Grodno. Its popular name, Łunna-Wola, dated to World War I, when German occupation authorities annexed to Łunna the neighboring southeastern village of Wola. Jewish residents also referred to their religious community as Łunna-Wola to recognize a union dating either from the war or its aftermath. In 1938, Łunna counted 1,964 residents, including 1,279 Jews, 536 Roman Catholics, and 149 Russian Orthodox believers. The Wola population numbered 548, including 392 Jews, 84 Roman Catholics, and 72 Russian Orthodox people. Initially occupied in World War II by the USSR, Łunna, on June 22, 1941, came under Luftwaffe attack, targeted at a bridge and at an airbase con...