ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ - ΣΥΝΑΝΤΗΣΗ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ | Page 261

261
entrances. They were the mens residence areas. Block
3 had a medical office and recovery area. The blocks
were originally built as soldiers dormitories. They were
two-storied and had a sub-basement and windows on all
sides. Athens was clearly visible and Kornaros describes
how it was impossible to imagine the agony and pain of
the place, when first arriving and seeing the spectacular
view.
Northeast of the food magazine lay Block 16, where the
S.S. had installed a female isolation area. East of the
magazines lay Block 20, the headquarters and Block
21, the barber’s, tailor’s, shoe-maker’s, ironsmith’s etc.
Prisoners operated all these facilities.
The infamous Block 15 was east of the baths. It was first
meant to be a military prison but then became the S.S.
isolation area. It had iron framed windows and the inside
was all plain. A. Zesis stayed in it for one hundred and
twenty days in strict isolation. His memories mention the
isolation, boosted by the restriction to approach closer
than 500 m for everybody except the commander and
the wardens.
The internal guard dormitories and their cooking area
were east of Block 15. To the south of the dormitories
was Block 14, a repository for items confiscated from
Athens. Block 6, east of Blocks 13 and 14 was the female
and children’s wing (Block 6) and the washing area. It
was separated by wire. Jews stayed in the basement and
Christians on the ground floor. The second floor had
a medical office and recovery area organized by
a prisoner, medical doctor A. Flountzis.
A high guarding post in the middle of the camp prevented
men and women to approach the wire between the two
sectors. Open areas were south of Blocks 3 and 4 at the
cooking area. The rest of the camp was accessed only
by people working in the camp.
Ground plan of the two stories of Block 15 and the baths
of the Chaidari camp. Drawings by prisoner Antonis Flountzis
(Reprinted from Chaidari, Kastro kai Vomos Ethnikis Antistasis, p. 29).
The Chaidari camp before the S.S.
The Chaidari camp operated under Italian administration
for a few days only. Captain Roata, the commander,
was not harsh and allowed visits, letters and parcels.
Prisoners were allowed to hang around the dormitories
and were not subjected to forced labour.
After the Italian defeat, the Germans took over Chaidari
on 10 September 1943. It was initially used as an
annex to the Averof prison, commanded by sergeant
major Roudi Trepte. The new administration was harsh.
Prisoners were restricted to their dormitories, except for
meals, gymnastics and forced labour. Visits were allowed
only once a month. The number of prisoners increased
gradually. Three hundred came from Kalamata in October
and were subjected to total isolation. Four hundred
prisoners of the Italians came in early November from
Averof. Among them was D. Paulakis, who remembers
that he was placed in Block 4. No talking was permitted
during meals. Prisoners were counted before bedtime.