ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ - ΣΥΝΑΝΤΗΣΗ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ | Page 265

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since the foundation of the camp. Nonetheless, the tension
that had prevailed in Chaidari during Radomski loosened
and the new commander did not use sadism and ferocity
in order to carry out his superiors’ orders.
The execution of the two hundred
- May 1944
On the 30th of April 1944, there was a rumor at Chaidari
that the S.S. intended to execute two hundred prisoners
as counter-measure to the murder of a German general
and three officers near Sparti by “communist bandits”.
The commander called some of the persons in charge
of working groups, all from Akronauplia (Akronaupliotes
in Greek). Fischer asked them to point out which
prisoners were not from the time of Metaxas and could
be replaced by others, since these prisoners were to
be trasferred to another camp. He also ordered the
Chalkideans to pack up their personal belongings and
present themselves behind the cooking area the following
morning, in order to be transferred to a different camp.
Given the execution rumor, all ordered believed that they
were going to be executed. The Akronaupliotes said
goodbye to all the people they could. Then they gathered
in Room 1 of Block 3 and started a goodbye party with
music from two guitars and a violin.
The following morning and before the morning gathering,
they got the Chalkideans on two tracks and took them
away from the camp. After breakfast, Fischer read
out a list of two hundred prisoners that were going to
be executed as a counter-measure for the murder of
the German general. This list included all but sixteen
Akronaupliotes, the people from Anaphi and some
prisoners of the Germans. They gathered in front of
the cooking area and before getting on the vehicles
they started singing the national anthem, the song of
Akronauplia and the Zalonggo in front of the astonished
Nazis that did not dare to react. Z. Zografos was there,
saw and described the scene. The oldest went first.
Napoleon Soukatzidis in the transportation
department of Piraeus, in 1936.
Makedos, a tobacco worker from Kavala went up front.
The youngest followed. Manasis (Papadopoulos) led
them. They started singing and the rest of the prisoners
started crying. When the vehicles came, Anestis Lazaridis
shouted “Attention!” The Germans did not dare to react to
the singing of the national anthem. Then they all got on
the vehicles.
The two hundred from Chaidari were transferred to
Kaisariani, where they were executed with machine guns.
Their corpses were transferred to the 3rd Cemetery and
were buried in group tombs.
Napoleon Soukatzidis
Among the two hundred that were executed on the 1st
of May 1944 was Napoleon Soukatzidis, the great hero
of Chaidari. As an interpretor, Soukatzidis tried to help his
fellow prisoners in any possible way and with self-sacrifice.