The Holocaust of Kalavrita
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Nazi invaded Kalavrita at Dec 9 1943. Tey set fire to houses allegedly owned by geurillas, and then they searched for wounded German soldiers injured in the battle of Kerpini. In the early hours of Monday, 13th of Dec, Nazi officers and soldiers ordered people to gather at the city school. |
German soldiers separated women and children from their male relatives and friends and from any male thet was older than 14 years of age. Women and children were kept imprisoned at school, and the town of Kalavrita was set on fire. Every male citizen of over 14 years of age was forced to walk on the hill "Kapi", where German's machine guns murdered all the entire male population. Only 13 people managed to survive the short-distance last shooting; few of them are still alive trying to cope with that nightmare. At school the imprisoned women and children lived their own nightmare, because fire from the surrounding houses was almost a moment away. They managed however to escape by breaking doors and windows but the horrible reality was to be seen; running through flaming houses the desperate tried to search for their loved ones, but in vain infrastructure of Kalavrita was destroyed. Hundreds of lives, properties and families were murdered, burnt and turn into pieces. The clock of the central church, which was stopped, at exactly 14:34 p.m. on Dec, 13th 1943, is still a reminder of that unfortunate day.
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