The Holocaust in Greece is one of the cruelest and most painful aspects of the Nazi occupation during World War II. The destruction of the country’s Jewish community was almost total, with mortality rates exceeding 80%. At the same time, the Nazi atrocities extended throughout Greek territory, with mass executions of civilians and holocausts of villages.

The Jewish community before the war

Before the start of World War II, Greece had one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe. The Jews of Greece were divided into two main groups: the Romanians, who had lived in the country for more than 2,000 years, and the Sephardim, who had fled mainly to Thessaloniki after being expelled from Spain in 1492.

Thessaloniki was known as ‘the Jerusalem of the Balkans’ and was the centre of Jewish life. Some 50,000 Jews lived there, maintaining a flourishing cultural and economic activity. There were also thriving Jewish communities in Athens, Ioannina, Corfu and Rhodes.

The Nazi occupation and the principle of extermination

The German invasion of Greece in April 1941 dramatically changed the fate of the Jews. The country was divided into occupation zones: the German, the Italian and the Bulgarian. While in the Italian-occupied areas the Jews were not directly persecuted, in the German and Bulgarian zones a systematic campaign of persecution began.

In 1943, the Germans, with the help of the Greek occupation authorities, began the transfer of the Jews of Thessaloniki to Auschwitz. Within a few months, over 46,000 Jews were exterminated in the concentration camps. Entire families disappeared and the cultural heritage of the city’s Jewish community was irreparably destroyed.

Athens, because of the Italian occupation, maintained a relative safety for its Jews until the Italian capitulation in 1943. When the Germans took control, mass arrests began. Many Athenian Jews managed to escape with the help of the Orthodox Church and resistance organizations. Archbishop Damaskinos even issued false baptismal certificates to save hundreds of people.

The resistance and the rescue efforts

Despite the horror, there were cases of heroic resistance and rescue. In Athens, Zakynthos and other areas, Christian Greeks hid Jews in defiance of death. The story of the mayor and metropolitan of Zakynthos is typical: when the Germans asked for a list of the island’s Jews, they provided only two names – their own. As a result, the Jewish community of Zakynthos was saved.

Also, some Jews managed to join resistance organisations. In the mountains of Greece, partisans protected and hid families, giving hope in the midst of utter destruction.

Massacres and holocausts of civilians

The atrocities of the Nazi forces were not limited to the Jews. Entire Greek communities suffered mass massacres in retaliation for their resistance.

Kalavryta (13 December 1943).

218 civilians, including women and children, were slaughtered by the SS.

Kontomari, Crete (2 June 1941): the first mass executions of civilians in Europe by the Nazis.

These attacks were intended to terrorize the population and break down the resistance, but they had the opposite effect: the Greek resistance was strengthened.

The post-war period and the memory of the Holocaust

After the war, very few Jews returned to Greece. Of the approximately 77,000 who lived in the country, only 10,000 survived. Most chose to emigrate to Israel or the United States, as post-war Greece was still damaged and challenged.

Today, monuments throughout Greece commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. In Thessaloniki, Eleftherias Square recalls the place where Jews were gathered before being sent to the death camps. The Holocaust Memorial in Athens, near the synagogue, is a tribute to those who perished.

The Holocaust in Greece was an unspeakable tragedy that wiped out a community with deep roots in Greek culture. At the same time, it highlighted acts of heroism and humanity that must not be forgotten. The memory of the Holocaust is not only a tribute to the lost, but also a warning for the future. This history reminds us of the importance of tolerance, solidarity and the constant fight against bigotry.