Greece remains deeply shaken by the recent revelation of photographs documenting the Nazi German execution of 200 communists on May Day 1944 at the Kaisariani Shooting Range in Athens — images that had remained hidden for 82 years.
A Historic Revelation
For decades, only a single engraving and oral accounts preserved the memory of one of the darkest episodes of the Axis occupation. Now, for the first time, these newly surfaced photographs lend visceral, human dimension to the resistance struggle. Just days after their acquisition by the Greek state, the Ministry of Culture officially presented the images on Thursday, 5 March 2026, as irrefutable historical evidence of one of the most emblematic atrocities of the occupation period.
Origins and Acquisition
The photographs — originally posted for sale on eBay — capture the final moments of the 200 resistance fighters. They were executed in retaliation for the assassination of German Lieutenant General Franz Kerer in Molaoi, Laconia, by Greek partisans.
It remains unclear how these invaluable historical documents ended up in the possession of Belgian collector Tim de Crane, from whom the Ministry of Culture purchased them. However, it is known that the images belonged to the personal photo album of German Lieutenant Hermann Höyer, who served in Malakasa during the occupation.
With support from the Greek Embassy in Belgium, the Ministry recently acquired a broader collection: 262 photographs, 16 archival documents, and four vintage banknotes.