Greece marks 80 years since liberation from brutal Nazi occupation: Video
Greece has commemorated 80 years since its liberation from Nazi occupation, a period marked by great suffering, including a devastating famine and the brutal treatment of the resistance.
The anniversary event, which featured a ceremony by the Presidential Guard at the Acropolis, highlights a chapter of Greek history often overshadowed by the subsequent civil war.
The Nazi occupation of Greece from 1941 to 1944 saw severe repression, with thousands of resistance members arrested, tortured, or killed, while more than 86 percent of Greece’s Jewish population was deported to Nazi concentration camps, the AFP reports.
Despite these atrocities, this period of Athens' history is often overlooked. Historian Dimitris Charalampidis, who launched "Athens History Walks" to preserve the memory of the occupation, has pointed out the lack of memorials commemorating key events from this time, including the famine that claimed many lives.
This anniversary contrasts with Greece's more widely celebrated "Ohi Day" on October 28, marking the country's refusal to surrender to Mussolini's Italy during World War II.
The ongoing effort to highlight the full scope of Greece’s wartime suffering continues through initiatives like Charalampidis' tours, which seek to raise awareness of the city's painful past.
