Culture Minister Lina Mendoni announced the completion on Saturday, stating: ‘The transfer of ownership of the photographic collection, from which the photographs of the executed at Kaisariani* came, has been completed. The photographs, evidence of the ethos and patriotism of those executed, now belong to the Greek state.’
The collection, held until recently by a Belgian collector, comprises 262 photographs, 16 documents, and four banknotes of historical significance. It was identified when it was listed for sale in an online auction. The Ministry of Culture, working in collaboration with the Greek Embassy in Belgium, moved swiftly to secure the transfer and ensure the collection would be preserved intact as part of Greece’s national cultural heritage.
The process involved authenticating the documents, formally recognising the collection as a protected monument, and negotiating its full transfer to the state. The minister thanked ministry officials and external partners for the speed and success of the process.
*On 1 May 1944, two hundred Greek communists and resistance fighters were led from the Haidari detention camp to the firing range of Kaisariani and executed by Nazi occupation forces in retaliation for the assassination of a German general.
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