Rare Photographs Reveal Final Moments of Greek Prisoners Executed by Nazis
Thrasivoulos Marakis grew up hearing stories about the grandfather he was named after but never met—a tall man executed during Nazi reprisals in Greece during World War II. For decades, the only image Marakis had of his grandfather was a worn family portrait. However, last month, a newly emerged photograph from an online auction shook his family and stirred powerful emotions across Greece.
The image shows his grandfather, Thrasivoulos Kalafatakis, walking calmly toward a firing squad alongside other prisoners. This execution of 200 prisoners by Nazi occupation forces on May 1, 1944, remains one of Greece's most poignant symbols of wartime resistance.
Chilling Images Acquired by Greek Government
On Thursday, the Greek Culture Ministry presented these chilling photographs—the first verified images ever made public—after purchasing the collection from a private collector in Belgium for 100,000 euros ($115,700). The archive includes 262 photographs taken by German Wehrmacht lieutenant Hermann Heuer, who was stationed in Greece in 1943–44, along with wartime banknotes and press clippings.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni stated that the images provide powerful documentation of Nazi occupation policies and restore individual identities to victims long known mainly through written accounts. "The value of this collection is immense," Mendoni said. "The photographs are priceless because they give a face and a visual dimension to historical testimonies."
Personal Connection and Historical Significance
Marakis, who lives on the island of Crete, recognized the tall, broad-shouldered man at the front of one group—sleeves rolled up, striding forward with his head held high—as his 40-year-old dairy farmer grandfather. He showed the image to elderly relatives and a 97-year-old local woman for confirmation. "It was very moving for the family—deeply, deeply moving," he told The Associated Press.
The photograph depicts prisoners walking under guard toward the Kaisariani firing range in Athens, where they were executed in groups of 20 in reprisal for a resistance ambush that killed a German commander in southern Greece. Valentin Schneider, a researcher at the University of Athens, noted that details like prisoners removing coats likely followed German army orders to make bullets penetrate more easily.
Rare Visual Records of Execution Moments
Several photographs capture rare moments: one series shows trucks transporting detainees from the Haidari prison camp to the firing range, while another image captures the instant shots are fired, with executed prisoners lying fallen backward. Historians emphasize that such visual records are extremely rare from this period.
During the Nazi occupation of Greece from 1941 to 1944, German commanders frequently ordered executions of hostages or civilians after resistance attacks. Many prisoners killed at Kaisariani had been arrested earlier by Greece's prewar authoritarian government for communist political activity and remained imprisoned when German forces occupied the country.
Broader Context and Propaganda
The archive also reveals another side of Lieutenant Heuer, with scenes from his private life, including swimming near Athens and visiting the Acropolis. Stavroula Fotopoulou, head of the Culture Ministry's department of antiquities, explained that the photographs reflect a broader Nazi propaganda system encouraging soldiers to take images to build impressions of Wehrmacht successes.
Mendoni announced that official identification of people in the photographs will begin immediately, with digital copies provided to victims' families and institutions. "In that moment, the Greeks—and these people in particular—showed true greatness," she added. "They reacted with bravery and dignity. That's what we must hold on to."
For Marakis, the images symbolize his grandfather's unwavering beliefs. "They went to their deaths with their heads held high so that we could be free today," he said. "He stood by his beliefs and his ideology. He never renounced them. If he had renounced them, he would have lived longer."
