Germans to the inhabitants of Platanias, in 1942, when they had taken over the island and settled in the area of Platanias, since it chooses as a strategic point.
The forced labor submitted to the residents of the area, beyond the defensive and machine-gun nests, was the construction of this shelter, which lasted for six months and worked daily to 15 people.
The sanctuary and museum now has a length of 200 meters with 13 chambers. A few years after the end of the war, it was used as a warehouse by the residents of the area for potatoes, due to the microclimate that prevails in the interior, since the temperature remains at a constant level, approximately 21 degrees, winter and summer.
2013 at the initiative of the Parish of St. Demetrios and volunteers-residents of the region started the restoration work and maintenance and now serves as a venue for “historical memory”.
Unique finds from the second World war, donations from abroad, unique photos and stories decorated in every booth, in conjunction with the tour carried out by the same volunteers, μετÏÎπουν these 200 measures that will go a visitor on a trip back in time.
The architect of the emergence of the shelter in a museum Kyriakos ΛουÏανδάκης and the volunteer ΒεÏιβάκης Dimitris spoke to Flashnews.gr. In accordance with the main ΛουÏανδάκη “the most probable reason why the Germans advanced in the construction of the shelter under the church is because the church basically provided them with security, since this position will not bombed, neither from the Greeks nor from the allies.”
“The shelter is perfectly oriented to the east and the west. At the equinox, September-Mario i.e. the sun goes in a straight line while it is anti-seismic and anti-vibration.
By the Germans in this bunker are used for the storage of heavy weapons, such as coastal rifle pits, anti-aircraft missiles, etc.
As mr ΛουÏανδάκης and mr. bunker that was linked in the past with two other shelters, which between them came together with trench.
“In the bunker-museum, we expose objects-donations that have made more than 90 people, locals and foreigners”
It is worth mentioning that the leader of the YEN Zhang George has made very significant donations to the museum in terms of weaponry.
It is a sad fact that of the 10,000 people that have visited until today, the shelter, nearly 95% are foreigners! “It is perhaps the only shelter-museum in Crete, however it seems that there is an incentive for the locals to visit”
The historic olive tree outside the shelter
“Just two days before the occupation of Crete, a wounded German pilot was transferred to the midwife of the village. However, the same couldn’t stop the profuse bleeding and he died. In your panic of the day, the villagers buried the man in front of the olive tree that is currently at the shelter. When Crete was occupied and the Germans have chosen as a strategic point in the Village, they decided to build the shelter starting to dig in front of the olive tree. Good luck to all of the residents, a private man, Michael Stamatakis, remained calm and relied on the Germans that the olive tree is sacred”
Well, that and some other “fraudulent” words of Stamatakis saved the village from the retaliation that would move the Germans in the event that pick up the dead soldier and the construction of the shelter has moved three meters.
The olive tree still exists today and now the bones of a German pilot have been taken to the German cemetery.
The museum is open daily from April to August, while in winter it only opens upon request.
If you want to visit the museum during the winter period, please contact to mr ΛουÏανδάκη Kyriakos on the phone 6932417259
The map above is marked with a red circle the location of the museum
Left mr ΒεÏιβάκης Dimitris and to the right of mr. ΛουÏανδάκης Kyriakos
Source
The refuge – museum of Chania, which revives memories of the ’41
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