Jacob Bunka

Jacob Bunka (; 13 July 1923 – 30 July 2014) was a Jewish sculptor, known as the last Jew of Plungė who carved large monumental wooden statues at Holocaust sites in Lithuania.

Early life Bunka war born in Plungė in 1923 to a Jewish family, half the town being Jewish in the interwar period. In 1941 Bunka and his family were found themselves in Siberia, where he was recruited into the Red Army.

World War II In 1942, Bunka was drafted with his father and brother to the 16th Lithuanian Division (Soviet). Bunka and his father were wounded in battle and recuperated in Zlatoust Hospital. Sent to the Belorussian front, Bunka was attached to the 1452nd Self-propelled Artillery Regiment. He was subsequently attached to the 10th Don Cossack regiment, serving in an intelligence role due to his German language skills. Bunka served in the Battle of Berlin. Bunka's father and brother died in service, while his mother and three sisters survived in Siberia. Following the end of the war Bunka served until 1947 in the Soviet occupation zone in the village of Ahrenshoop.

Art and memorial sites

In 1986, Bunka initiated the creation of a memorial for the Plungė massacre near the village of Kaušėnai. In 2007, the Jakovas Bunka Charity was set up to care for the site. He wrote a memorial yizkor book for Plungė. According to Jonas Rudzinskas, chairman of the Union of Lithuanian Folk Artists, " His responsible, sincere attitude towards creative work and unique style set Jakov Bunka apart from others and he joins the ranks of our greatest folk artists who set the development of folk art."

Exhibits In 2018, Bunka's work was displayed at Lithuanian National UNESCO Commission gallery, to the 95th anniversary of his birth.