Greece Reaches Deal with Belgian Collector for Historic WWII Execution Photos

Greece has struck a preliminary agreement with a Belgian collector to acquire rare World War II photographs documenting the execution of 200 Greek political prisoners by Nazi forces. The historic images, which were being sold on eBay, show the final moments of communist prisoners killed in Athens in 1944.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek officials have reached a preliminary agreement with a Belgian collector to acquire rare World War II photographs that document the execution of 200 Greek political prisoners by Nazi forces, the country’s Culture Ministry announced Friday.

The collector, Tim de Craene, had listed the historic images for sale on eBay but has now removed them from the auction site following the agreement with Greek authorities.

Greek officials are working to secure the photographs after designating them as part of the nation’s cultural heritage.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni revealed the preliminary deal after government experts traveled to Belgium on Friday to meet with de Craene and confirm the authenticity of the images. Mendoni did not reveal specific terms of the agreement or explain how Greece plans to obtain the photographs.

The dozen images, which surfaced on eBay last Saturday, capture 200 political prisoners during their final moments on May 1, 1944. These photographs represent the only known visual documentation of an execution that holds deep significance in Greece’s World War II experience.

The killings occurred at a shooting range located in Athens’ Kaisariani neighborhood. The images depict men walking through a gate and along a pathway, with several prisoners looking directly toward the camera. One photograph shows the group positioned against a wall before their execution.

Greek cultural ministry specialists who examined the collection in Belgium discovered the photos were part of a much larger archive of 262 images captured by Wehrmacht Lieutenant Hermann Heuer during his deployment in Greece from 1943-44 throughout the Nazi occupation. The experts confirmed the authenticity of the complete collection, which also includes related documents.

The mass execution at Kaisariani of 200 communist political prisoners stands among the most horrific crimes committed during Nazi Germany’s occupation of Greece and continues to hold profound meaning in the nation’s historical narrative.

Following World War II’s conclusion, Greece was torn apart by a brutal civil conflict between communist forces and Western-supported government troops that continued until 1949. The divisions from that period continue to influence Greek society today.

Soon after the photographs appeared online for sale, vandals attacked the memorial at the Kaisariani execution site, destroying plaques that bore the victims’ names.

“Historical memory will not be erased, no matter how much it bothers some people,” the Kaisariani municipality declared in an official statement, promising to restore the damaged monument. The municipality described the photographs as evoking “a chill of emotion for the heroic, valiant stance of the 200 communist heroes who stood up against the firing squad.”