Rescue story

Adelė was born in 1901. Her mother died early, and her father worked as a shop keeper. As a young woman in Liepāja, Adelė met German officer George Boll. They married in 1917 and had a son, Zenonas Boll, in 1918. While living in Liepāja, Adelė learned German; she also knew Russian, Polish and Esperanto. The couple later divorced. Adelė raised her son alone, worked as a midwife and was interested in medicine.

In 1936 Adelė married Jeronimas Žiužnys, who was 18 years older. Both had children from previous marriages, and the family lived in Sviliai village, where they had a large garden, apple trees and bees.

In 1944 an old acquaintance, Chaja Gell, asked the family to help save her relatives. Jeronimas and Zenonas travelled to Kaunas and brought Chaja Gell and her children Rachel and Jacob from the ghetto to their home. Other Jews followed. In total, 14 people hid with the Žiužnys family. A hiding place was constructed under the kiln. For nine months Adelė tirelessly took care of their food, hygiene and other needs. She kneaded bread during the day and baked it at night, washed their clothes in the stream and dealt with neighbours' questions about smoke from the chimney at night.

After the war, the rescued people left a written note of thanks signed by all 14 people. Adelė died in 1967, three years after Jeronimas.