Twelve photographs depicting the final moments of 200 patriots before their execution in Kaisariani on May Day 1944 appeared on the eBay auction site on Saturday, February 14. They belong to a collector who specializes in German Army memorabilia and World War II artifacts in general, who offered them for sale.

The Ministry of Culture immediately took notice and determined that:

1. It is very likely that these are authentic photographs.
2. There are several legal complications regarding their ownership.

Regarding the documentation of their authenticity: The circulation of photographs taken by soldiers of the Third Reich in countries occupied by Nazi Germany is a well-known and thoroughly researched topic among historians of photography and contemporary history. In German veterans’ organizations established with the aim of restoring the public image of the Wehrmacht, in post-war German society, networks were created for the exchange and reprinting of photographs taken during the war by professional and amateur photographers. A notable example was the circle around the magazine Wildente (Wild Duck), published by Günther Heysing, a journalist with Goebbels’ Propaganda Department. These photographs are very likely to belong to this circle (especially if we take into account the back of the printed photographs, as they appeared on eBay).

On Wednesday, February 18, the Central Council of Modern Monuments will examine the issue of “Whether or not to classify photographic evidence of the execution of 200 patriots in Kaisariani on May Day 1944 as a monument.” The completion of the classification of the collection as a monument is the basis for its claim by the Greek state. Experts – officials from the Ministry of Culture have already contacted the collector. In the coming days, they will visit him at his headquarters in Ghent, Belgium, in order to assess: the authenticity and legality of the collection’s origin, as well as its significance and value. If the authenticity and legal origin of the collection are documented, the Ministry of Culture will immediately finalize the measures for its acquisition through the appropriate legal channels.