120 prisoners; however, most of them escaped; only eight of them were tortured to death. After the German invasion, the Nazis rounded up and killed about 10,000 members of the town's Jewish population with the help of Lithuanian collaborators. During World War II, the city center suffered from extensive bomb damage. For years after the return of the Soviets, the city's people organized and participated in resistance movements. The deportation of the city's population to Siberia continued. In 1950 the monument to Lithuania's Independence was destroyed. The city reconstructed it in 1990, even before the restoration of Lithuania's independence was declared. Around 1964, two coupled Soviet R-12 Dvina (SS-4) nuclear missile bases were built in the woods near Ukmergė under Nikita Khrushchev. Each had four surface launch pads, semi-underground hangars to store the missiles and several accessory buildings. The bases were mentioned in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. They both are in a ruined state at present, and freely accessible to the public. Notable people Bruno Abakanowicz, Polish mathematician, born in 1852, Vilkomir (Ukmergė) Alexander Braudo, author and publisher, born in 1864, Vilkomir (Ukmergė) Chaim Freinkel, philanthropist, lived, worked, and established schools in Ukmergė Antanas Smetona, president of Lithuania from 1919–1920 and from 1926–1940, was born nearby and educated in the local school system Leib Gurwicz, Rabbi and Talmudic scholar, studied at the yeshivah school here Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, Rabbi and Lithuanian parliamentarian, built yeshivas, a school and an orphanage in Ukmergė Moshe Leib Lilienblum, scholar and author Ben Shahn, American artist, muralist, social activist, photographer and teacher, lived in Ukmerge in the early 1900s Bob Sredersas, Lithuanian-Australian art collector went to school here Zigmas Zinkevičius, Lithuanian linguist, acquired his early schooling in Ukmergė. Vida Vencienė, Olympic cross country skiing gold medalist. Woolf Wess, also known as William Wess or William West, a Jewish anarchist, trade union organizer, and editor of the London-based Yiddish-language anarchist newspaper, Arbeyter Fraynd (Worker's Friend), born in Ukmergė in 1861 and emigrated to London, England, dying there in 1946 Stanisław Lech Woronowicz, Polish mathematician, born in 1941, Ukmergė Twin towns — sister cities Ukmergė is twinned with: Bad Langensalza, Germany Cologno al Serio, Italy Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine Kiskunmajsa, Hungary Herrljunga, Sweden Līvāni, Latvia Mariestad, Sweden Põlva, Estonia Tarnowo Podgórne, Poland Tsalenjikha, Georgia Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis, Germany Västra Götaland County, Sweden Wetteraukreis, Germany Worcester, England, United Kingdom Esztergom, Hungary Kiskunlacháza,