The 200 Greeks Executed by Nazis on May Day

Newly released photograph of the Greek patriots astir to beryllium executed successful Kaisariani. Public Domain

On May 1, 1944, 200 Greeks were executed by the German Nazis occupying Greece during the Second World War. The executions were initiated arsenic a reprisal for the sidesplitting of a high-ranking German serviceman by Greek absorption fighters conscionable a fewer days before.

The prisoners were taken by motortruck to the Kaisariani firing range, a suburb of Athens, and executed by firing squad.

Recently released photographs picture the last moments earlier the execution.

he Greek Ministry of Culture has unveiled a harrowing postulation of documentary photographs capturing the execution. Public Domain

Related: Greece Rallies to Secure Rare Photos of 1944 Kaisariani Execution

The Kaisariani massacre continues to beryllium commemorated successful Greece, having taken connected renewed governmental meaning nether shifting contexts. The execution was dramatized successful 2017 successful the movie The Last Note, directed by Pantelis Voulgaris.

Greeks executed by the Nazis during the Second World War

On April 27, 1944, Major General Franz Krech, commandant of the 41st Fortress Division of the Wehrmacht, was ambushed and killed by Greek resistance fighters astatine Molaoi in Laconia.

The absorption fighters were members of the Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS), the subject limb of the left-wing National Liberation Front (EAM). The partisans were led by 2nd Lieutenant Manolis Stathakis. Three different German subject officers were besides killed successful the ambush.

The German reprisals were brutal and rapidly enacted. On April 30, orders for executions were made known by the press, which was controlled by the occupying forces.

In total, 200 Greek communists were rounded up by German forces and executed astatine the firing scope successful Kaisariani. They executed them successful batches of 20 astatine the firing range.

Letters and notes of the deceased

Many of those who went to their deaths wrote notes for their families and loved ones near behind, oregon dedicated last messages to their cause.

“It is amended to dice successful the combat for state than to unrecorded arsenic a slave,” wrote Nikos Mariakakis, an agronomist from Chania successful Crete.

“I ne'er forgot you. I gave my beingness for you and for the Greek people. Today, May 1, 1944, I buss you for the past time,” wrote different unfortunate whose sanction was lost. His enactment was lone marked with the archetypal “A”.

Significance

The execution of the Greek patriots, mostly communists, is remembered contiguous arsenic 1 of the astir important moments for Greece successful the Second World War. The lawsuit continues to beryllium commemorated but has besides attracted contention wrong delicate governmental contexts.

It was dramatized successful the humanities play movie The Last Note, released successful 2017, that was directed by Pantelis Voulgaris and starred Andreas Konstantinou, André Hennicke, and Melia Kreiling.

The protagonist of the movie is the humanities fig Napoleon Soukatzidis portrayed by Andreas Konstantinou.