The Greek Ministry of Culture has officially acquired a rare and historically significant photographic collection documenting the execution of 200 Greek Communists by Nazis at Kaisariani in Athens, on May 1, 1944.

The collection, which recently surfaced when a Belgian collector listed it for auction on eBay, contains 262 photographs, 16 historical documents, and four old banknotes. The images are attributed to Hermann Hoyer, a German sergeant stationed in Malakasa during the Axis occupation of Greece.

The Hellenic Ministry of Culture acted swiftly to purchase the entire collection to prevent it from being divided, and designated the photographs as a national treasure.

The images provide an unprecedented visual record of the victims, primarily Communists imprisoned since the pre-war Metaxas dictatorship, who where then handed over to the occupying Axis forces.

Researchers have already identified two of the executed individuals in the photos as Vasilis Papadimas and Ilias Rizos. Discussions are also ongoing regarding where and how this valuable historical archive will be exhibited.

The execution of the 200 was ordered by the Nazis as reprisal for an ambush by the Greek People’s Liberation Army a few days before in Laconia, and which resulted in the death of German Major General Franz Krech and his escort.

The Vandalized Momument of Kaisariani | Image Credit: Municipality of Kaisariani

Just hours after the publication of the photographs on Greek media, the monument commemorating their execution at Kaisariani was vandalized.

In response, the Municipality of Kaisariani noted that “historical memory can’t be erased no matter how much it disturbs some people,” and promised to restore the monument.