The area between Vokiečių, Žydų, and Gaono streets in the old town was once the Jewish quarter of Vilna, one of the most important centres of Jewish life in Europe. Before the Holocaust, Vilnius had a Jewish population of around 75,000; the community supported dozens of synagogues, hundreds of charitable organisations, publishers, theatres, and schools in multiple languages. The Great Synagogue of Vilna, one of the most celebrated in Europe, stood here.
The Germans and their Lithuanian collaborators murdered nearly the entire Jewish population during the occupation. The Great Synagogue was demolished by the Soviets after the war; a primary school now stands on its site. Small plaques, a monument on Žydų (Jewish) Street, and the Jewish State Museum on Pamėnkalnio Street mark what was here. Walking through the streets with some knowledge of what stood on each site is one of the more affecting things you can do in Vilnius. The museum on Pamėnkalnio Street (open Mon–Thu 9:00–17:00, Fri 9:00–16:00) has the best documentation.