Pranas (Franc, František) Vocelka was born on July 23, 1897 in Perchtoldsdorf, Mödling County, Austria. His father Joseph Vocelka was Czech and mother Zerafina Zabrak von Wonetsky was Hungarian.

After studying printing in Vienna, in 1920 Vocelka moved to prewar Lithuania. Arrived to Kaunas he became the manager of the cinema “Palase”, also worked in the printing houses “Joselevičius”, “Švyturys”, “Spindulys” (during Nazi occupation it was renamed to “Kauen-Vilnaer Verlag und Druckerei“). Vocelka was involved in the printing of the representative album “Commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Death of Vytautas the Great (1430–1930)” (“Vytauto Didžiojo mirties 500 metų sukaktuvėms paminėti albumas. 1430–1930”, 1933) compiled by Henrikas Serafinas and Vladas Čekauskas. He also worked as a graphic artist and played the violin.

Pranas Vocelka had a close friendship with Berlin-born composer Edwin Geist (1902–1942, executed by Gestapo) and also with Max Holzman (1889–1941, perished during holocaust), who was the owner and publisher of the “Pribačis” bookstore. He was also a colleague of printer Shimon Joselevich (https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/righteous/lukauskas.asp).

Vocelka was a keen fighter for human life and dignity during the Nazi occupation. He helped Jewish children to run away from Kaunas ghetto and hid them. He also skillfully forged documents (passports, food cards) and provided assistance to Germans, who were left without help after the war.

Pranas Vocelka’s place of eternal rest is in the cemetery of Rūdninkai town, Šalčininkai district, Lithuania, surrounded by the picturesque bend of the Merkys river. In 2013, he was recognized as the Righteous Among the Nations (Yad Vashem), and in 2001 Vocelka was honored the Cross of Salvation by the President of the Republic of Lithuania.

We share the excerpt from the testimony of Julijana Zarchi, who was rescued from the Kaunas ghetto by Vocelka: I am glad that today we can honor the memory of those who did not lose their moral orientation during the darkest period of the twentieth century. Risking their lives and the lives of their loved ones, they saved people. (…) So was Pranas Vocelka. He saved not only me but many more people. Helena Holzman wrote about him in her book “This Child Must Live” (Dies Kind Soll Leben) and so did the semi-Jewish composer Edwin Geist in his diary ”For Lyda”. It’s easier to live when you know that people with a clear moral orientation like Pranas Vocelka are always there, even though there are just a few of them.

More information: https://righteous.yadvashem.org/?searchType=righteous_only&language=en&itemId=6610447&ind=NaN

Information and photo credits: Knygų šalis“

Photo: Lithuanian Central State Archives

 Photo: Sigute Chlebinskaite