The Holocaust Museum
The legal entity under the name “Municipal Museum of the Kalavryta Holocaust” was established in 1986 (Official Government Gazette No. A 24908/4.8.1986) and is housed in the historic building of the town’s former Primary School.
The purpose of this institution is to collect, document, and exhibit all kinds of material that reflect the history, folklore, and traditions of Kalavryta—particularly the tragic events of the Holocaust of December 13, 1943, and the historical developments that took place in the wider region.
The restoration of the former Primary School and its conversion into the Museum of the Kalavryta Holocaust was carried out according to the design prepared by architects Mary Koumandaropoulou and Antonis Manioudakis of the Directorate of Cultural Buildings and the Restoration of Modern Monuments of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.
The project’s total budget amounted to €1,167,332.42, and the contracting company was Alexandros Techniki S.A.
The project was co-financed by the European Union and was included in the Operational Programme “Culture” of the Community Support Framework 2000–2006.
The Museum was officially inaugurated on January 9, 2005, by His Excellency, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Konstantinos Stephanopoulos.
History
The Kalavryta Primary School was built in the early 20th century and began operating in 1906. It is an example of a four-class school with neoclassical architectural elements and a specific typology. It was constructed under the first state program for school building construction, designed by the Ministry of Education’s civil engineer, Dimitrios Kallias, and formalized by Law BTMΘ/1895. From its early years, the school had teachers for all grades and was equipped with teaching aids for history, language, technical, and practical subjects.
During the Occupation, the school ceased operations. It functioned as a school only from September to December 1943, making it the shortest school year in its long educational history.
On December 13, 1943, the school was completely burned down by the fire set by the German occupiers. After the liberation, it was reconstructed according to its original design and reopened in 1955. In 1986, it was declared a historic preserved monument by the Ministry of Culture and designated to house the Municipal Museum of the Kalavryta Holocaust.
The Kalavryta Primary School was one of the most spacious public buildings in the city, with a large courtyard. From 1941 until April 1943, it was commandeered by the Italians and converted into a concentration camp for political prisoners from the Peloponnese. Around 500 Greek men and women were imprisoned there, suffering harsh conditions, and some did not survive. In April 1943, the prisoners were transferred elsewhere, and the concentration camp was shut down. The building was then used as a barracks for the Italian battalion of Kalavryta.
After the Italian surrender on September 9, 1943, the school resumed its educational function.
The Events of December 13, 1943
On October 17, 1943, after the Battle of Rogoi-Kerpini, Greek resistance fighters brought captured German prisonersto the school, where they were held for 24 hours.
On December 13, 1943, one of the most tragic events in Kalavryta’s history unfolded within the school. The German troops gathered the town’s residents there and separated the men and boys over the age of 13 from the women, children, and elderly. While the men were led to Kappi Hill and executed, the women, children, and elderly were locked inside the building, which was then set on fire.
In a state of panic, the imprisoned women and children forced open the doors and managed to escape.
