Pride and Defiance: Unseen Photos of Greek Nazi Atrocity

A collection of 12 photographs has dramatically resurfaced, documenting the Kaisariani Massacre of May 1, 1944, where 200 Greek resistance members were executed by German firing squads in Athens.

These images, controversially put up for sale on eBay, capture the final moments of the condemned prisoners. Despite the impending brutality, the photographs strikingly portray the victims' pride and defiance, with straight shoulders and dignified demeanors as they marched to their execution.

The massacre occurred as a brutal reprisal for the killing of German Major General Franz Krech and three other officers by an ELAS platoon on April 27, 1944. The Gestapo compiled a list of 200 prisoners, predominantly communists, for execution.

Many prisoners, including Napoleon Soukatzidis, a skilled translator, and Antonis Vartholomaios, the camp elder, refused offers of reprieve, choosing instead to face their fate with their comrades. Some sang folk songs and revolutionary anthems in their cells.

The execution site was a rifle range in Kaisariani, eastern Athens. Witnesses reported that the victims shouted patriotic slogans and sang revolutionary anthems as they were gunned down in batches of 20, with some executioners reportedly fainting from the horror.

The photographs, believed to have originated from the album of Sergeant Hermann Heuer and possibly taken by journalist Günther Heysing, serve as a stark reminder of Nazi atrocities. They also highlight the unwavering courage of the Greek resistance against overwhelming evil.

In 1982, the Greek government officially recognized the crucial role of the communist-led ELAS. Today, the Kaisariani site is the Altar of Freedom, a memorial dedicated to those who fought for national independence, with remembrance services held annually.