Kaisariani: The ownership of the photos of the 200 executions transferred to the Greek state

The Greek state has acquired the 262 photographs from the Hoyer collection, which includes those of the execution of 200 communists in Kaisariani in 1944.

As announced by the Ministry of Culture, in addition to the photographs, 16 documents and 4 old banknotes were also handed over.

According to a statement by the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni:

“The transfer of ownership of the photographic collection, from which the photos of the executed people in Kaisariani originated, has been completed. The relevant staff of the Ministry of Culture, with the assistance of the Greek Embassy in Belgium, received the 262 photographs, the 16 documents, and the 4 old banknotes that had been put up for sale by the Belgian collector on an online auction site, exactly two weeks ago.

The Ministry of Culture reacted with exceptional speed and carried out a difficult task, which included documenting the authenticity of the collection, classifying it as a monument, documenting its provenance, negotiating so that it would not be broken up and would be transferred entirely to the Greek state, and finally completing all the necessary procedures to effect the transfer, as required by the current legal framework. I thank all the staff and external collaborators of the Ministry for their full response to this complex endeavor. The photographs—testaments to the dignity and patriotism of the executed Greeks in Kaisariani, on May 1st, 1944—are now the property of the Greek state.”