The Kalavryta Holocaust refers to one of the most horrific moments of modern Greek history, during the German occupation of Greece in World War II.  Specifically, on 13 December 1943, German occupation forces, as reprisals for the attack of ELAS (Hellenic People’s Liberation Army) during the battle of Kerpini against German forces, destroyed the town of Kalavryta, executing all adult and adolescent male inhabitants. This operation resulted in the complete destruction of the village, the burning of the houses and the extermination of its inhabitants, with youths and elderly being shot in cold blood.  The women and children remaining in Kalavryta managed to escape from the burning school, where they had been locked by the German occupation forces.  The German atrocities were not concentrated solely in Kalavryta, but spread throughout the region. It is noted that the Kalavryta Holocaust is one of the most important cases of war crimes committed by the German Occupation forces during World War II in Greece.  Today, the memory of the Kalavryta Holocaust is maintained through monuments, commemorative events and remains in the collective memory the locals.

#ΕλληνικόςΣτρατός, #HellenicArmy