The Agora

Kaisariani photos: Why Greece’s past is present

March 4, 2026·46 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

When a set of long‑lost photographs of the 1944 May Day executions of 200 Greeks by Nazi occupation forces suddenly surfaced on eBay in February, Greece was shaken. The images — the first ever to show the two hundred political prisoners, Communists, walking to their deaths at the Kaisariani shooting range in Athens — reopened a chapter of history that has never stopped shaping the country’s politics.With the help of our guest Professor Elias Dinas from the European University Institute in Florence, in this episode we explore why these photographs matter now: how they collide with decades of suppressed memory, why Kaisariani remains a defining symbol for the Greek Left, and what their reappearance reveals about the ongoing struggle over who gets to tell the story of the past.Useful readingNever-before-seen photos of Nazi executions in Greece surface on eBay – France24‘We can see that courage’: Greece recovers long-lost photos of Nazis’ May Day executions – The GuardianMan moved as photo of grandfather’s execution by Nazis surfaces - KathimeriniMessage from the past, mirror for today - KathimeriniKaisariani Execution: Three More Historic Photographs Surface – To VimaPhotographs of 1944 Nazi Executions in Greece Declared Protected Monument – DnewsCretan Man Recognizes His Grandfather in Kaisariani Execution Pics – To Vima Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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