Greek authorities are seeking to secure a set of rare photographs believed to show the final moments of 200 Greek prisoners executed by Nazi forces in Athens during World War II, after the images unexpectedly appeared for sale online.
The photographs, posted on eBay by a Belgian collector, are thought to depict the execution of 200 communist political prisoners on May 1, 1944, at the Kaisariani shooting range.
While the massacre is one of the most documented atrocities of the Nazi occupation of Greece, no photographic evidence of the event was previously known to exist.
Greece’s Culture Ministry said it was “very possible that these are authentic photographs” and confirmed it was already in contact with the seller.
Experts are expected to examine “the authenticity and legality of origin” of the images before any move to formally acquire them.
The images reportedly show prisoners being led to the execution site and standing upright as they face a wall.
The discovery has reignited strong public emotion. Shortly after the photos became public, the memorial at Kaisariani was vandalised, with name plaques damaged. In response, the local municipality stated: “Historical memory will not be erased, no matter how much it bothers some people.”
The Culture Ministry acknowledged there were “quite a few legal complications” surrounding the acquisition of the photographs. A committee will determine whether the images should be classified as part of Greece’s national heritage, a step that would allow the state to pursue their official recovery.
Source: AP News
