The Church of Thessaloniki during the years of Occupation and the Liberation of the city (October 30, 1944)translated

Archimandrite Dimitrios Tziafas, Preacher I.M. writes. Thessaloniki

On October 30, 1944, Thessaloniki was liberated from the German Occupation, after three and a half years that deeply marked its history. The withdrawal of the German troops and the entry of the forces of the Hellenic People's Liberation Army (ELAS) marked the end of a period of hunger, deprivation, persecution and executions, during which the majority of the Jewish community of the city was exterminated. Amidst this painful reality, the Church of Thessaloniki continued its pastoral ministry and developed care and relief activities for the residents.

The German Occupation began on April 9, 1941, with the entry of German troops into Thessaloniki. The requisitions, the disorganization of economic life and the lack of basic goods particularly burdened the weaker social strata. The winter of 1941–1942 was extremely difficult, as the food crisis threatened daily the survival of thousands of people. These conditions are thoroughly examined by the historian Maria Kavala in her study "Thessaloniki in the German occupation (1941-1944):...