German President Steinmeier Visits Future Holocaust Museum in Thessaloniki

According to ANA reports, Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited the site of the future Holocaust Museum of Greece in Thessaloniki on Tuesday.

During the visit, President Steinmeier presented the Museum with an album of photographs from Ioannina depicting the transport of Greek Romaniot Jews to Nazi concentration camps. He noted that the first photograph in the album shows a young woman in tears, symbolizing the tragic fate that awaited many.

David Saltiel, President of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, received the album, calling it the first historical document to be displayed in the new Museum. In his address, Saltiel emphasized the significance of the site, where 50,000 Greek Jews were forcibly loaded onto trains during the Holocaust. He highlighted that among those deported, 12,800 had fought for their homeland on the Albanian front.

Saltiel referred to Thessaloniki as "Madre de Israel," or "Mother of Israel," noting its historical importance in European Sephardic Jewry, which boasted numerous institutions, rabbinic schools, and synagogues before the war. He expressed hope that the new Museum will serve as a beacon against racism and antisemitism and function as a research and documentation center for future generations, encompassing the histories of Jews from across Greece.

He also thanked Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for his unwavering support and various contributors, including the Greek and German states, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Genesis Prize Foundation, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who hails from Thessaloniki. Additionally, he acknowledged the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the Region of Central Macedonia for their contributions to the Museum's construction and the creation of a memorial park.

Petros Makridis, architect and head of Makridis Associates, shared updates on the project. He stated that the main contractor is expected to be appointed in the first quarter of 2025, with construction set to begin before April 2025. The Museum is anticipated to be completed by early 2027. He credited Saltiel and former Thessaloniki mayor Yiannis Boutaris as key figures in advancing the project.

President Steinmeier is in Greece from October 29 to October 31 at the invitation of President Sakellaropoulou. His visit includes stops in Thessaloniki, Athens, and Crete.

Commemorating Jews of Greece: International Holocaust Remembrance Day