It is a detail that gives the images an additional dimension of discomfort – they were taken by the perpetrator’s own documentarian, but have now, decades later, become evidence of the resistance they were intended to suppress.

For many Greeks, the photographs have become a powerful visual encounter with a history that has lived on, for generations, primarily through stories, ceremonies, and memorials.

Facts about the Kaisariani mass execution

The Nazis’ execution of 200 Greek resistance fighters at the shooting range in Kaisariani (Skopetírio Kaisarianís), just southeast of central Athens, took place on May 1, 1944, and has for decades been a central part of the country’s historical consciousness. The newly published photographs have once again brought this memory into focus and given it renewed life.

The background was an attack in late April 1944, when Greek resistance fighters killed the German General Franz Krech and his entourage near Molaoi in Laconia, not far from Sparta. As a reprisal, the German occupation authorities decided that 200 political prisoners would be executed. The men were taken from the internment camp in Haidari and transported at dawn to Kaisariani.

The executions were carried out in groups of twenty. The prisoners were lined up at the shooting range and shot by German firing squads. In postwar accounts, it has often been emphasized that many of those sentenced to death displayed calm and solidarity as they were led toward their fate. It is part of the collective narrative of the Kaisariani mass execution, a story of dignity under extreme violence.

It is precisely this dimension that the newly published photographs now provide with concrete visual confirmation. In the images, the men can be seen walking toward the site, lined up along the embankment, with postures that many Greeks perceive as composed and resolute rather than resigned. What previously lived through testimony and memorial words thus gains a different presence.

The Massacres in Athens

Among the archives of the Greek state is, among other things, the front page of the resistance newspaper Apeléfterotis from May 17, 1944. Under the headline “The Massacres in Athens,” the execution at the shooting range in Kaisariani is described as the most extensive that spring. The newspaper reported that the men were executed in groups of twenty over the course of a few hours.

Contemporary texts testify to how the execution was experienced by those in the vicinity. The church bells in Kaisariani are said to have rung throughout the entire course of events, and people at a distance followed what was happening with strong emotions. In postwar accounts, it has often been recounted how those sentenced to death stood upright until the very end and shouted slogans for freedom and national independence.

For many families, this is not an abstract historical episode but part of their own family history from the occupation period. In my own family as well, some young men were executed by the German occupation forces in August 1944 – a story that has lived on through oral accounts and that has previously been recounted here on the Expedition: Anonymous Heroes of the Greek Resistance

The weight of the event also extends far into international diplomacy. During his visit to Greece in June 1987, German Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker chose the memorial in Kaisariani to honor the victims of the occupation during the Second World War. It was a gesture that at the time was met with skepticism from conservative circles in both the Greek and German administrations. During his visit, Weizsäcker also mentioned the names of several other places in Greece where the German war machine carried out massacres: Kalavryta, Distomo, Kleisoura, Kommeno, Lyngiades, and Kandanos.

The Greek resistance during the Second World War was organized into several groups, of which EAM (National Liberation Front) was the largest and most influential resistance organization during the occupation. EAM included civilian activists, partisans, and organized resistance fighters who fought against the German and Italian occupation forces. More information about the Greek resistance movement can be found here >>

Monument vandalized

But the circulation of the photographs has not only been met with reverence. Shortly after the images began circulating in Greek feeds, it was reported that the memorial monument at the shooting range in Kaisariani had been subjected to vandalism. Unknown perpetrators defaced the marble plaque on which the names of the 200 executed men are engraved.

The incident provoked strong reactions and was immediately condemned by the Municipality of Kaisariani. In a statement, local representatives emphasized that historical memory cannot be erased through vandalism and assured that the damage would be promptly restored. This physical attack on the monument, at a time when the event has become more visually present than ever, serves as a reminder that the memory of the occupation and its victims remains a sensitive issue in Greek society.

Worth noting about the image material

Many have reacted to the fact that the published images primarily show the preparations before the execution and the transport to the site. According to experts who have examined the collection, however, an additional three to four photographs exist that depict the execution itself or the moments immediately afterward. That these were not shown in connection with the eBay auction is likely due to the platform’s strict rules against the publication of violent imagery, rather than their absence from the historical archive.

From eBay to National Memory

The chain of events behind the sudden spread of the images began only a few weeks ago, when a Belgian collector put the unique original photographs up for sale on the auction site eBay. The discovery was quickly noticed by the Greek Facebook group Greece at WWII Archives, which shared the images further, still bearing the seller Crainsmilitarias watermark and a clear reference to the auction.

The publication of the Kaisariani mass execution images immediately triggered what can best be described as a digital volcanic eruption; the images spread virally across Greek social media and were almost immediately picked up by established news outlets throughout the country.

The enormous attention prompted the Greek Ministry of Culture to act swiftly. Experts were sent to verify the authenticity of the images, and after rapid confirmation, the photographs were officially declared a national historical memory. To secure the documents for posterity, the Greek state has now initiated negotiations with the collector for a purchase to incorporate them into the national archives.

That these photographs from the Kaisariani mass execution have now become public reveals a clear contradiction. When the images are sold on a site like eBay, a historical trauma is transformed into a commodity, forcing us to consider who truly has the right to these men’s final moments.

But in the end, the circulation has had another effect. Despite the vandalism of the monument and despite the originals having ended up in private hands, the event the images depict – the Kaisariani mass execution – can no longer be silenced or hidden. Now that they exist both in state archives and in the public consciousness, the 200 men have gained a presence that was not there before. It becomes a reminder that certain events are so significant that they belong to shared memory rather than to a single owner.

Film recommendation

For those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the events, the film The Last Note (2017), directed by Pantelis Voulgaris, is recommended. The film portrays these final days in the Haidari camp and the heavy march toward the shooting range, offering a moving depiction of the courage that the images have now given us visual confirmation of.

Related articles

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_May_1944_Kaisariani_executions
• https://greekreporter.com/2026/02/15/rare-photos-nazi-mass-execution-greek-prisoners-kaisariani/
• https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1261011/kaisariani-memorial-to-resistance-fighters-vandalized/
• https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/1295710/kaisariani-wwii-execution-photo-archive-declared-protected-monument/
• About user rights (Greek)
• Filmen The Last Note

The intense seismic activity has prompted authorities to declare the islands in a state of emergency. As a precautionary measure, schools have been ordered to remain closed until further notice. Residents are advised to avoid large gatherings in enclosed spaces and to stay away from certain built-up areas and ports. If stronger tremors occur, residents should also avoid cliff areas and stay away from the coast.

Seismologists emphasize that the current activity is not linked to historical events such as the devastating 1956 earthquake or the volcano at Santorini. Experts are closely monitoring the ongoing tremors, and authorities urge caution while discouraging speculation about larger events.

However, the ongoing tremors serve as a reminder of the forces constantly at play in the Aegean region, where the Eurasian and African tectonic plates are pushing against each other.

For those living on Santorini and Amorgos or with a deeper knowledge of the Aegean Sea’s history, the recent tremors evoke memories of past earthquakes that forever altered the islands. One of the most devastating in modern times occurred in the mid-20th century, leaving deep scars in its wake. On Santorini, 500 buildings were destroyed and over 3,200 damaged, while 54 people lost their lives. On Amorgos, the destruction was extensive, though documentation of the damage remains limited.

The dual catastrophe – the earthquake and the tsunami – left an indelible mark on Greece’s modern history and serves as a reminder of the Aegean Sea’s relentless seismic forces.

Devastation in the Aegean Sea – the 1956 earthquake

Early morning on July 9, 1956, the earth split open beneath the feet of residents in the heart of the Aegean Sea. The tremors were brutal, but it wasn’t just the quake that left indelible scars on the landscape – it was the tsunami that soon struck, the falling rocks, and the shock that became forever etched in the memories of those who experienced the catastrophe.

The earthquake’s epicenter was located south of Amorgos, the easternmost of the Cycladic Islands in the Aegean Sea. It reached a magnitude of 7.5 – one of the highest recorded in Greece during the 20th century. The official death toll rose to just over 50, while hundreds were injured and even more lost their homes and possessions.

📌 Note: The historical images in this article are AI-generated, based on eyewitness accounts, photographic archives, and contemporary descriptions of the events. They are created to provide a visual impression of how the 1956 earthquake and tsunami affected Santorini and Amorgos.

Earth’s Wrath – Seconds of Devastation

The tremors transformed buildings into rubble, and the shock spread far beyond the Cyclades. The seismic tremors affected not just the islands but the entire Aegean region, all the way to the Turkish coast.

The daily newspaper To Vima reported the following day about the scenes of horror that had unfolded in Santorini:

Scenes of terror and panic spread across the stricken Santorini just minutes after the first tremor. Residents fled their homes in panic, rushing through narrow streets in an attempt to reach the beach. Meanwhile, the sound of collapsing houses echoed through the air, accompanied by the deep rumble of earth tremors and black smoke that seemed to rise from the volcano. Dust covered everything, transforming the morning into a nightmare.

Amid the devastation, people fought desperately to save their loved ones. One woman managed to grab her three infants and shield them with her own body as she fled into the street, avoiding the falling stones.

📌 Note: The historical images in this article are AI-generated, based on eyewitness accounts, photographic archives, and contemporary descriptions of the events. They are created to provide a visual impression of how the 1956 earthquake and tsunami affected Santorini and Amorgos.

Others were less fortunate – a café owner became trapped in a doorway and died of suffocation. Elsewhere, a grandmother took her two grandchildren in her arms and managed, stumbling and crawling, to get out unharmed. But the children’s mother, her daughter, lost her life under the rubble.

Six to eight seconds – that’s how long the quake lasted according to initial official reports. A moment that felt like an eternity for those who experienced it. Santorini, already marked by historical catastrophes, was once again struck by devastation. After the main shock, the tremors gradually subsided but continued to be felt for several days. Fearing more quakes, residents stayed outdoors, no one daring to return to their homes.

The tsunami – danger approaching from the sea

📌 Note: The historical images in this article are AI-generated, based on eyewitness accounts, photographic archives, and contemporary descriptions of the events. They are created to provide a visual impression of how the 1956 earthquake and tsunami affected Santorini and Amorgos.

As if the earthquake itself wasn’t enough, the next blow came from the sea. A violent tsunami was triggered by the quake and crashed over the islands. Santorini and Amorgos were particularly hard hit. The water masses, with waves up to 30 meters high, swept away houses, boats, and people – those who hadn’t perished in the rubble now had the sea itself to defend against. The waves spread in all directions, affecting not only the southern islands of the Cyclades but also Crete’s northern coast and the Dodecanese Islands.

Historical accounts describe how the sea at Katapola on Amorgos completely withdrew, allowing people to walk on the exposed seabed – before the waves struck back with devastating force.

Rumors about the volcano

In the first hours of the panic that erupted, many residents reported seeing the volcano erupt, with large amounts of black smoke rising from the crater. However, this turned out to be a misunderstanding.

Seismologists rule out any connection between the earthquake and a volcanic eruption. The tremor was purely tectonic, caused by movements in the Earth’s crust rather than volcanic activity. The presence of the volcano in the area, combined with swirling black dust, may have created the illusion of an eruption, but experts confirm that there is no basis for this claim.

The last confirmed volcanic eruption on Santorini occurred in 1950, six years before the major earthquake, and no unusual seismic activity was recorded at the active craters in connection with the 1956 quake.

The volcanic history of Santorini

Santorini has experienced numerous volcanic eruptions throughout history, varying in strength and explosiveness. At least twelve major explosive eruptions have been documented, four of which were so powerful that they created a new caldera—meaning a collapse of the volcano’s crater, completely reshaping the landscape.

The oldest eruptions occurred between 650,000 and 550,000 years ago, with many of them taking place underwater. Over the past 360,000 years, the volcano has gone through two major cycles, each culminating in two massive caldera-forming eruptions that reshaped the entire island.

During the Bronze Age, the Minoan eruption of Santorini took place—one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history. The eruption’s epicenter was located in the area that today forms the great caldera.

Before this event, Santorini had the shape of an almost enclosed ring, with only a narrow passage leading into the inner lagoon. The Minoan eruption was so powerful that large parts of this ring disappeared, creating two new channels and giving the island its present form.

This event was one of the most pivotal in the early history of the Aegean Sea and is believed to have contributed to the decline of the Minoan civilization.

After the Minoan eruption, volcanic activity has been concentrated around the Kameni Islands in the center of the lagoon. These islands have gradually formed since the Bronze Age, with the first one rising above sea level in 197 BCE.

Since then, nine eruptions have been documented. In 1707, an underwater volcano broke through the sea surface, creating Nea Kameni, which has since been the focal point of volcanic activity in the area. During the 20th century, three eruptions occurred, the last one in 1950, with no major consequences.

Although the volcano is considered dormant today, steam and carbon dioxide continue to be emitted from the currently active crater on Nea Kameni, while several older craters remain scattered across the island.

Santorini: The 1925 eruption

Historical footage from the 1925 eruption on Nea Kameni, filmed by Professor Georgios Georgalas. The video was created for educational purposes and includes material from ERT’s documentary series “Ταξιδεύοντας στην Ελλάδα” / “Traveling in Greece”. Published on YouTube by Trantafyllos Soldatos.

The Aegean Sea – where three continents meet

For millennia, the Aegean Sea has carried both life and destruction. Santorini and Amorgos, two islands shaped by the forces of the sea and the earth, have repeatedly witnessed nature’s relentless power.

The hundreds of tremors now shaking Santorini and Amorgos serve as a reminder of the region’s geological reality. For the islands’ inhabitants, earthquakes are not distant historical events but a part of everyday life. Just as the survivors of the 1956 earthquake learned to rebuild their communities, today’s islanders continue to adapt—with modern technology, stronger buildings, and well-developed warning systems. Yet beneath the surface, the forces of nature remain as unpredictable now as they were then.

The most devastating earthquakes

The table below shows the most devastating earthquakes in Greece, ranked by magnitude. The strongest tremors are listed at the top and include the number of fatalities.

Sources: To Vima, tovima.com, Wikipedia, ekriti.gr, Ta Nea, iefimerida.gr

📌 Note: The historical images in this article are AI-generated, based on eyewitness accounts, photographic archives, and contemporary descriptions of the events. They are created to provide a visual impression of how the 1956 earthquake and tsunami affected Santorini and Amorgos.

Older articles about Amorgos

Amorgos – a gem in the big blue

Amorgos, a future is being built with the stones of older times

The Greek alphabet has also historically played an important role in philosophy, science, and art. Letters such as Α (Alpha), Β (Beta), Δ (Delta), Π (Pi), and Σ (Sigma) have been fundamental in mathematics and other sciences. Learning the Greek alphabet and its background provides a deeper understanding of the history and culture of Greece and its impact on today’s societies. By exploring this alphabet, we open the door to new ideas and insights into how our civilization was shaped.

Moreover, if you wish to learn to speak Greek, you will hear from those who have already studied the language that the first step is to master the Greek alphabet.

The 24 letters

The modern Greek alphabet used today consists of 24 letters and has undergone many changes throughout history. In fact, the older alphabet had several letters that are no longer used in the modern written language. The 24 current letters are divided into 7 vowels and 17 consonants. The vowels are α (alpha), ε (epsilon), η (eta), ι (iota), ο (omicron), υ (ypsilon) and ω (omega). These are combined with different consonants to write the words of the Greek language.

Vowels, consonants, digraphs, and diphthongs

In addition to individual letters, the Greek writing system also includes digraphs, which are combinations of two letters that represent a specific sound or phonetic feature. Also, diphthongs are used in the Greek language. Diphthongs are mainly combinations of two vowels that form a single sound.

In simple terms, one can say that the Greek alphabet is thus a combination of vowels, consonants, digraphs, and diphthongs that together form the written representation of the language. These elements are used to create words, expressions, and sentences; they are the building blocks of the modern written Greek language.

Examples of how to say …

Related video – Guess Greek Gestures

Historical development of the alphabet

The Greek alphabet shows a fascinating historical development. Already in ancient times, there were numerous myths and theories about its origin. The dramatist Aeschylus claimed that the titan Prometheus was the first to give humans the letters. The tragedian Euripides, on the other hand, believed that the mythological hero Palamedes invented the alphabet, or at least parts of it. Other thinkers believed that the three goddesses of fate – the Moirae – created the first letters. There were also some who honored the god Hermes for this gift to humanity.

Linear B – the first Greek written language

As discussed in previous posts, it is now generally accepted that the oldest Greek written language was Linear B, which was in use during the Mycenaean period from 1400 BC to 1200 BC. However, the alphabet, as we know it today, is believed to have evolved from ancient Phoenician, although there are theories claiming that several language families may have influenced its development, according to the polygenesis theory.

Separating vowels and consonants

The Greek alphabet was an adaptation and modification of the Phoenician alphabet. The Greeks removed consonants that did not have equivalents in their language and used them instead to denote vowel sounds. Thus, they created the first writing system with separate symbols for vowels and consonants, allowing an unambiguous representation of speech. This was a significant advantage over other contemporary writing systems that could be ambiguous. In addition, the Greek alphabet now had a lower number of characters, which made the writing system more accessible to those who wanted to learn to write and could no longer be monopolized only by specialists, the scholars.

Upper and lower case letters

In ancient times, the classical alphabet consisted only of uppercase letters, meaning that all letters were written in capitals. We recognize this form of the alphabet from monumental texts, such as inscriptions on statues, vases, buildings, and public places.

It was not until the early Middle Ages, more specifically in the 9th and 10th centuries, that the lower-case letters were fully established in the Greek writing system. The introduction of lower-case letters allowed for greater variety and flexibility and enabled the use of different fonts and levels of style.

Accents

Greek language development is also characterized by the various systems of accent markings, used throughout the centuries, to facilitate linguistic pronunciation.
As early as the Hellenistic period, around 200 BC, people began experimenting with using a variety of diacritical marks, such as accents and breathing signs, to mark particular stresses and pronunciation variations. This was later systematized and became the so-called Greek polytonic system, where letters could carry several different accent marks and have varying pitches. The polytonic alphabet was in use for a very long time, almost two millennia. However, it was replaced in the 1980s by the monotonic writing system.

The monotonic system assigns letters only one accent, called a tone, which indicates that that particular letter should be emphasized in the word. This adjustment greatly simplified the written language and facilitated the use of the Greek alphabet in modern technologies and digital platforms. Those changes in the formation and the accentuation of the Greek alphabet reflect the continuous evolution of the language throughout history and its adaptation to different written and verbal needs.

Learn how to count with Greek numbers

In its original form, the Greek alphabet was probably used mainly to denote numbers and figures. In Greece, the Ionian numeral system was once the most widespread, before the Arabic numerals became established. This system is still used today, alongside the now-dominant modern numerals.

The Arabic system, also known as the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, was introduced in Greece in the Middle Ages. This took place in the context of trade relations and cultural exchange between the Arab and Greek worlds. It is important to note that the Arabic system did not replace the Greek numeral system completely and immediately. The transition was gradual and took place over a long period, from around the 9th century until the Renaissance. However, even today in Greece, the older system is used, especially for ordinal numbers and in official or ecclesiastical contexts.

Influences and impacts outside Greece

The historical importance of the Greek alphabet extends far beyond the borders of Greece. It has influenced the development of other writing systems, such as the Latin alphabet used in the Western world and the Cyrillic alphabet used in several Slavic languages. This shows the global impact of the Greek alphabet and its extensive spread across continents and cultural environments.

In science, the Greek alphabet has historically played a very significant role. Many mathematical symbols and terms used internationally have their roots in the Greek alphabet. For example, Σ (sigma) is used to denote summation, π (pi) to represent the number pi, and α (alpha) or δ (delta) to denote variables in various scientific disciplines. In astronomy and astrophysics, the Greek alphabet is used to name stars, constellations, and other celestial bodies. Many of the most famous stars have Greek letters as prefixes, such as α Centauri (Alpha Centauri), β Orionis (Beta Orionis), and γ Cassiopeiae (Gamma Cassiopeiae).

Combinations of letters of the Greek alphabet are also widely used by international associations, societies, and organizations to show common affiliation and strengthen cohesion. The letter combinations serve as identity symbols and can be seen in logos, emblems, and naming. Using Greek letters reinforces the link to ancient Greece and its rich cultural heritage. Examples include Lambda Theta Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Beta Kappa.

In English, we have the expression “the Alpha and Omega,” which comes directly from the Bible (Revelation 1:8). It refers to God calling himself the beginning and end of all things. So in English, “the Alpha and Omega” can be used to mean the absolute most important part of something.

When it comes to how the Greek alphabet is represented digitally, the Unicode character encoding is used. This means that each character of the written language is assigned a specific code that allows it to be represented on computers and digital devices. This has facilitated the use of the Greek alphabet in the digital world and made it accessible to a wide audience. In total, there are 518 characters in the Unicode standard that are classified as belonging to the Greek written language. Example: Alpha “Α” = (U+0391) and Omega “Ω” (U+03A9).

Letters that have disappeared

The letters of the Greek alphabet were not always twenty-four. During its development over the centuries, some of them fell out of use and were gradually abandoned. Some of these phased-out letters are:

• Digamma (Ϝ ϝ), was the sixth letter in early forms of the Greek alphabet. It was a phoneme, like the English (w)
• Sabi (ϡ) is also an old and now obsolete letter of the Greek alphabet, which was later used solely as a numerical symbol for the number 900. It is believed to represent a phoneme similar to double [ssh] or [tt].
• Stigma (Ϛ ) is a cluster of the characters sigma σ and taf τ still used today in the Greek numbering system as a symbol for the number six (6), Στ’. It was previously used instead of the pair st to write words such as stratos (ϛratos).

Final words

In conclusion, the alphabet is a fundamental part of Greece’s cultural and historical heritage. The Greek alphabet has a significance that extends far beyond its written uses. It is a symbol of Greece’s history and heritage, and has had a significant impact on science, mathematics, and other fields. By preserving and using the alphabet, Greece honors its rich history and demonstrates its continued importance in today’s society.

Sources:

• https://users.sch.gr/ipap/NEGlossa/fon-sim_NE-Gl.htm
• https://piotermilonas.blogspot.com
• Wikipedia
• worldhistory.org
• Encyclopedia Britannica

🎧 Aten i hörlurarna – en resa i din egen takt

Med vår ljudguide i VoiceMap får du uppleva Aten på ett nytt sätt. Turen leder dig genom stadens gömda lager – de undanskymda gränderna, de förbisedda byggnaderna och de berättelser som sällan ryms i guideböckerna. Du väljer själv tempot: följ rutten på plats i Aten med appen som följeslagare, eller lyssna som en virtuell vandring var du än befinner dig.

🎧 Lyssna på turen i VoiceMap 👉

Today, Georgios Xyftilis, blog writer and founder of the Greek Expedition, presents one of those sad stories, from his own family:

Grandma Kalliopi lost her 16-year-old son Kostas, the uncle we never got to know, when he was arrested and executed at the end of World War II, for being active in the Greek resistance. This is a fate sadly shared by too many families during the dark days of occupation. Listen to how Kalliopi recounts the tragic event in a film by Matheo Yamalakis (English subtitles):

This is an excerpt from Matheo Yamalakis film “Στην Αθήνα (In Athens)” from 1982,The whole film can be found at Matheos YouTube channel: / @matheoyamalakis5763
URL till the whole film: – ΣΤΗΝ ΑΘΗΝΑ
Matheos’ homepage: http://www.matheo.se/
Matheo Yamalakis was a Swedish-Greek film director and artist that sadly left us just about two years ago.

Grandma Kalliopi’s story in her own words

One morning I got up early, my husband had a morning shift. He had to be at the station at 5 am. I got up with him and followed him to the front door as usual.

Then I saw – there was a bakery opposite – I saw a man standing at the door outside the bakery. I was surprised because at that time people were not up so early. I wondered why he was standing there…

5 – 10 minutes after my husband left, I heard gunshots. I wondered what it could be and went down to the window to look. There I saw two Germans and two Greeks standing at the crossroads of Agiou Dimitriou, the main road leading here.
They were standing there with guns in their hands.

My one son Kostas was at home but my other son, Andreas, was not here. I hurriedly went into Kostas’ room and told him that there were Germans outside. He also came and looked. “It’s Bougiouris,” he said. I didn’t know who he was.

The house door kicked open

Kostas started to run but barely made it back to his room before the men kicked in the door – the outside door we still have downstairs – so that part of it broke off (I start crying when I remember) part of it broke off and they came in two Greeks and two Germans.

The German soldiers did not go into Kostas’ room, only the Greeks went there.
One was Stamatakos, the Germans used him as an interpreter. The other was Bougiouris, whom Kostas had mentioned. They started rummaging through cupboards and drawers, throwing our things around. Stamatakos slapped Kostas in the face.

I cried and screamed, “Why are you doing this?” “What has my child done to you?”
He replied: Do you forget that he brushed on the walls of the house “Down with Bougiouris!” “Down with the traitors!”? Now that I’m sending him to the Germans, he’ll see!
They took Kostas with them and left.

The detention camp in Chaidari

On his way out, Bougiouris says, “You’re lucky your other son isn’t here, otherwise I would have taken him too. So he meant Andreas.

They took Kostas and many others to the prison camp in Chaidari.

The following Sunday we also went there with another neighbor’s wife. We went there to give them clothes and to take their dirty laundry Kostas had left a little note among their clothes. He wanted us to send bandages next time.
I wondered why he needed bandages.

The next time we were there we managed to see him.
He was out working in the camp and had blisters on his skin.
“What is it?” I asked him. ‘It’s from the sun, mom.

His pants were also completely torn I asked him why he hadn’t put on the full pants I had sent along. ‘I haven’t, Mom, but I will,’ he said.
We asked where they had taken him. He said they had taken him to the police station.

Interrogation by the police

There he had met another neighbor of ours, Dritsakos was his name, he was a constable and wanted Kostas to reveal where one of his friends lived.
Kostas replied that he did not know. The officer said, you bastard, pretend you don’t know, I’ve seen you go to his house.

“Who wants to hit?” the officer asked the other policemen. And they all started hitting him. So he was in a bad way and needed the bandage he had asked for.

His father suggested we send in an application to be released.
“No,” said Kostas, “they’ll take me in for questioning again. They will hang me upside down from the winch, like when they interrogated my father and brother.

The end

One morning, my husband and I were on our way to visit Kostas again. We didn’t get any further than the bus station when we met one of the other arrested boys’ father. His name was Politis and I thought he looked very upset.

He asked us where we were going. “We’re going to the boys,” I replied.
“What boys?” he asked. It’s already over, they’ve been killed”.
My husband asked how he knew that.
“It was in the papers”.

We bought a newspaper and it had all their names and the place of execution.
So and so many have been hanged, in retaliation for a German soldier being killed.

After the liberation

Later, when the Germans left the country, we went there to do the excavation.
They lay foot to foot, in a big pit, they lay like this… buried in long rows, foot to foot.

We stood there all parents and watched as they shoveled away the earth, then I saw … recognized him … my Kostas, recognized him by his clothes.
The sweater he was wearing, the cross he was carrying… That’s our Kostas, I said to my husband.

We dug out the skeleton … he had his hands … hands clenched together… like this…
Only the knuckles were left.
Why does he have his hands like that, my Kostas, I wondered.

Voice of arrator in the video: Kalliopi will never know why her son clenched his fists when the fascists hanged him. Was it perhaps in defiance of the great injustice that had already begun to befall the people? The nationalist informers had begun to serve their new masters: the British and the king, who had now become the leader of local Fascism.
Later, during the Civil War, Kalliopi’s elder son, Andreas, was sentenced to death three times by the local fascists for fighting against Nazism. He was rescued just before his execution.

Late recognition of the Greek resistance

It would take decades before the anonymous heroes who fought against the occupation received their rightful vindication and recognition. It was only in the 1980s that their memory and the sacrifices they made for Greece’s freedom began to be openly honored.

In August 1982, the Greek Parliament adopted a bill recognizing the united national Greek resistance against the occupying forces during the period 1941-1944.

It is particularly important today to shine a light on the anonymous heroes of the Greek resistance, as far-right and xenophobic forces are once again gaining influence. As the echoes of boot-stomping paramilitary groups are once again heard on our streets and minorities are subjected to hatred and incitement, we should learn about and honor those who once stood up and gave their lives in the fight against oppression and totalitarianism.

Related article

Note: This article is a re-posting from the private blog of the founder of Greek Expedition, Georgios Xyftilis. Since it was posted (18 June 2014), we have received good news about the cave. In Georgios own words: “I got some really GOOD NEWS (since I last posted this article): A speleologist, who recently visited cave Rizoupoli – in Athens and made measurements, informed me that the pollution has now decreased significantly. Nature has regenerated and self-healed surprisingly fast!“

Unfortunately, the cave has been severed damaged by the continuous building of the area in previous decades.The old entrance to the cave, situated on a fenced plot at Komanon street, is today sealed by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

Cave Rizoupoli – in Athens, first explorations

The cave was explored for the first time in by legendary Greek speleologist Anna Petrocheilou in 1960. She was descending through the old – and by now the only entrance left, and made a detailed mapping of the cave´s complex structure.

It is interesting to compare the area of the cave from map above with Google Earth surface map of Rizoupoli – below. Click on images to see details.

Scientific report

In her report, published by the Hellenic Speleological Society, Anna Petrocheilou describes in detail the chambers and corridors and other complexities of the cave, she writes about the spectacular stalagmites and stalactites, as well as the various archaeological and paleontological findings .

She writes further that the cave was known already in the 1930s and that the local authorities of that time wanted to turn it into a nightclub! For this reason they had already installed wide system of cables and lamps. The outbreak of the second world war foiled these grandiose plans (thankfully).

The entire report can be found as pdf-file here (in Greek).

Archived video of Exploration

An old and very rare video document showing Anna Petrocheilou´s explorations of cave Rizoupoli – in Athens, can be found at the YouTube-channel of Geomythiki, by the speleolog Dimitris Theodosopoulos.

Cave interior

The pictures below of cave Rizoupoli- in Athens are from the excellent blog of Greek speleologist Athanasios Xanthopoulos. He was exploring the cave recently and documented it with rich photographic material.

Ground level entrance – now built upon

In the 1970´s, a new ground level entrance was discovered in conjunction with the building of a huge house complex. Despite the recommendations of the scientists, permission to continue the building was granted by the authorities.

Before the destruction of cave Rizoupoli – in Athens was completed, the entrance was open  to the public a few days. The result was that almost all residents in the area entered the cave, and cut off small souvenirs to keep as decoration in their homes.

Further explorations of cave Rizoupoli – in Athens

Further explorations of the cave has been made, with special permissions from the Ministry of Culture. Except the above already stated, you can find rich and excellent photographic material of the cave posted by the Hellenic Urban Exploration & Speleology. Below, picture from their blog: http://urbanspeleology.blogspot.gr

A childhood dream

We who grew up in this area and as a children played at the cave’s entrance, always dreamed of sometime be able to descend into the mysterious chambers of this crystal palace. Unfortunately, no such future possibilities seems to exist. There are no plans for remediation and restoration. The cave is sealed, largely destroyed and almost completely forgotten. But it will continue to live it’s own life with slow constant changes, as it has done for millions of years now, remembered occasionally only by a few nostalgics of … cave Rizoupoli – in Athens

Note: This article is a re-posting from the private blog of the founder of Greek Expedition, Georgios Xyftilis. Since it was posted (18 June 2014), we have received good news about the cave. In Georgios own words: “I got some really GOOD NEWS (since I last posted this article): A speleologist, who recently visited cave Rizoupoli – in Athens and made measurements, informed me that the pollution has now decreased significantly. Nature has regenerated and self-healed surprisingly fast!“