The two Greek teenage boys who removed the Nazi flag from the Acropolis

·

On the morning of May 30, 1941, two teenaged Greek boys, Manolis Glezos and Lakis Santas, climbed up the Acropolis and took down the Nazi flag.

How did this brave act of resistance against the occupying army in Greece during WWII come about? The Greek Herald finds out.

READ MORE: Former Greek WWII resistance hero Manolis Glezos dies aged 97.

Act of resistance:

The daring plan to remove the Nazi flag from the Acropolis was born one dusk evening in Zappeion as Glezos and Santas looked up at the archaeological monument and saw the flag waving in the breeze.

READ MORE: European Parliament to name room after Greek WWII resistance fighter Manolis Glezos.

The flag lowered by Manolis Glezos and Lakis Santas from the Acropolis.

They went to the National Library and read everything about the Acropolis until they realised the only route they could take to avoid capture by the German guards was through the Pandrosi Cave.

On the morning of May 30, 1941, Glezos and Santas were informed by radio that Crete had fallen and they made the decision to implement their plan that night.

READ MORE: On this day in 2011: Apostolos Santas, Manolis Glezos’ partner-in-crime, died aged 89.

The two young men had no weapons, only a lantern and knife. They jumped the wires, crawled through the cave and upon reaching the flagpole, they removed the huge flag which measured 4 x 2 metres. Glezos and Santas quickly escaped with the flag.

Recreation sketch of the flag being removed by Glezos and Santas.

READ MORE: On This Day: Greek WWII resistance hero, Manolis Glezos, was born.

The next morning, when the German guards realised the flag had been removed, they began interrogations and quickly replaced it with a new flag.

Glezos and Santas were sentenced to death in absentia, the men of the guard were executed, the Greek commanders of the police stations in the area were relieved of their duties, while the Acropolis guards did not find any incriminating evidence.

Source: Sansimera.gr.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From crisis to compassion: Timos Roussos and his family’s mercy mission in war-torn Cyprus

When Turkish troops landed on Cyprus on 20 July 1974, six-year-old Timos Roussos was sitting on the floor of his family’s home in Lemesos.

A granddaughter returns: Georgia Georgiou retraces her yiayia’s occupied village in Cyprus

When Georgia Georgiou handed over her Cypriot ID at the border checkpoint to cross into occupied northern Cyprus, she felt an ache.

‘You never get over it’: A childhood shattered by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

On a warm July morning in 1974, 10-year-old Anastasia Di Loreto (née Karatzia) was jolted awake by the sound of bombs falling on Kyrenia.

Cyprus: The paradox of tolerance and impunity for Turkey

The lack of a unified, systematic and practical strategy on the part of Greece has led the Cyprus crisis into national disarray.

Lost homes and lingering hope: Greek-Cypriots reflect on Turkish invasion and its aftermath

From hidden stories to haunting memories, two Greek-Cypriot men share what it means to carry the burden of Cyprus’ past.

You May Also Like

Greek diaspora revive interest in homegrown property market

A quiet yet powerful trend is emerging: more Greeks living abroad are investing once again in property back home.

Allocation of earthquake relief funds by Cretan Federation of AUS and NZ called into question

Allocation of earthquake relief funds by the Cretan Federation of Australia and NZ have been called into question in an open letter.

Kiki Efthimiou: We need a collective effort to defend the name ‘Greek Yoghurt’ in Australia

Kiki Efthimiou looks to motivate and inspire the Greek community to take collective action to protect the name ‘Greek Yoghurt’ in Australia.