Wolpa (in Belarussian - Woupa, today
- a village, the center of selsovet in Volkovysk (Vaukavysk) region,
is situated on the river Waupianka ( 25 km from Vaukavysk and 72
km from Grodno (Grodna)) In 1990 Woupa had 1.544 inhabitants.
In the first half of XV century Woupa
was a possession of Grand Lithuanian duke Kazimir IV.
In 1449 he presented Woupa to the Lithuanian chancellor and Vilna voevoda
(head of province) A. Galshanski. In the end of XV - the beginning of XVI
centuries Woupa was known as a miastechka (Yiddish - shtetl) of Grodna
povet, fifty years later - a possession of Grand Lithuanian dukes Sigizmund
and Sigizmund August.
The first mention about jews in Woupa
is XVII century. The beginning of the jewish life in Woupa is connected
with famous belarussian Sapega family. In 1624 Lithuanian chancellor
Leu Sapega bought this miastechka for his son - ) Kazimir.
Sapega family was interested in Wolpa`s prosperity. That is why, they invited
jews to their possession (in 1766 Woupa jewish communities had 641 members).
In 1643 Lithuanian duke and Polish king Wladislaw IV visited Woupa.
In 1775 Woupa had about 21 houses.
In 1795 this shtetl become part of Russian Empire. In 1831 Sapega
family, who gave a strong suppor to the 1830-31 Polish, Lithuanian and
Belarussian insurrection against Russia, lost Woupa. It become a state
possession.
In 1847 Woupa jewish community
had 709 members. The results of the famous Russian census of 1897
for Woupa were: 1.976 inhabitants - 1.151 jews.
Also, in 1897 shtetl had 2 orthodox
churches, a catholic church, a synagogue, 2 prayer houses, a beer plant,
about 25 shops, 5 fairs per year and so on. Woupa jewry took an active
part in shtetl`s trade and fairs. Except trade, their main occupation
was handicraft (tailors and shoe-makers).
During the World War I Woupa was occupied
by German troops. After the February and Bolshevik revolutions, Polish
army occupied Woupa in 1919-1920. According to the Riga treaty of March,
1921, Woupa was in Vaukavysk povet in Bialostok voevodstvo in the
squad of Poland.
On the 17th of September, 1939, Soviet
Army invaded Poland. Woupa become a part of Belarussian Soviet Socialist
Republic (since the 12ht October of 1940 - a center of selsovet in Vaukavysk
region).
On the 22nd of June, 1941, Nazi Germany
invaded Soviet Union. Several days later they occupied Woupa. Jewish
community was destroyed.