Interview with Elisabeth Stavrianidou
One of the most important development projects implemented in the country, the Holocaust Museum of Greece, is taking shape in a symbolic place for Thessaloniki, the area of the Old Railway Station, from where the death trains left, with the Jews of Thessaloniki for Auschwitz.
The landmark museum for the city, keeping alive the memories of the past, will at the same time be a pole of attraction for thousands of tourists annually, participating in the tourism development engine.
The first phase of construction of the Holocaust Museum has already begun, with preliminary work continuing and the first excavation works already completed. With a total area of approximately 9.000 sq.m., the Museum, which is implemented by the Israelite Community of Thessaloniki with donations from the Greek State, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the Genesis Prize Foundation in honor of Dr. Albert Burla CEO of Pfizer, but also from donations from individual people, it is expected to be ready at the end of 2026.
The construction of the Holocaust Museum was proposed in 2016 and the foundation stone was laid on January 30, 2018. The museum under construction will house, in addition to the permanent exhibition spaces, spaces for periodic exhibitions and archives, with special visitor education programs as a key element and in particular of the children. It was also going to house the archives, books and other objects that the German occupation authorities seized on July 11, 1942 from 30 synagogues and Jewish institutions of Thessaloniki, which they later transferred to Berlin. This material ended up in Moscow in 1945 after the occupation of Berlin by the Soviet army. In December 2021, the Russian government announced its decision to return it to Greece, to be deposited in the Holocaust Museum under construction following the intervention of Prime Minister Mr. Mitsotakis. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances that have arisen to date, the original files have not been returned. The Israelite Community holds copies which can be studied by researchers.
The president of the Israelite Community of Thessaloniki, David Saltiel, in his interview in the special printed edition of GRTimes for the 88th TIF, "guides" us to this emblematic project, noting that it will highlight all the unknown aspects of history, of the Jewish community, but also of Thessaloniki, serving important educational purposes at the same time.
Mr. Saltiel, at what stage are the works for the construction of the Greek Holocaust Museum?
For the Holocaust Museum of Greece, which is implemented by the Israelite Community of Thessaloniki and financed by the Federal Republic of Germany, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Greek government, but also by donations such as Dr. Albert Bourla, the Construction Permit was issued at the end of December 2023 by the Directorate of Construction and Urban Development of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, thus paving the way for the implementation of the 1st of the major projects of Thessaloniki that will be completed keeping the memory alive.
The contractor for the execution of the Preliminary Works of the project, which concern excavation and support works and the construction of the foundation piles, is the joint venture of the companies GEOREVNA - OFS and the duration of its implementation is seven months. The Contractor settled and completed the work of organizing the construction site (required permits, installation of construction site fencing, Project sign, construction site huts, connection to OKO networks, etc.) and continues with excavation work, and construction of piles to create a barrier.
Which works are currently in progress and which ones will follow?
Excavation work is in progress and, at the same time, construction work is being carried out on the sub-foundation of the future building. In the sub-foundation phase, reinforced concrete constructions will take place, with the excavation and filling of one hundred (100) shaft piles, 1,20 m in diameter. and 21m deep. each, as well as a perimeter partition wall, 0,60 m thick. 13,45 m deep supported by a 16,25 m long pre-tensioned anchor system. The preliminary work is completed with the complete excavation and removal of the excavation products up to the level of the foundation floor (-8,60 m in relative elevation, taking into account that the absolute +0,00 = 5,20 m.)'
When is construction work expected to begin?
The Israelite Community of Thessaloniki, which is the owner of the project, together with the donors and the association of companies "Samaras & Synergates SA - Consulting Engineers" and Hill International in the role of Project Manager and Technical Consultant for the implementation of the project, worked intensively and coordinated in order to to complete the tender process and the contracting of the Contractor on schedule, so that this first phase of construction can start immediately. Under the coordination of the government, in cooperation with the donors, IKTH, the Project Manager, the Municipality of Thessaloniki and in general with all the contributors, all the actions for the implementation of this emblematic project of our city are proceeding intensively. In parallel with the works on the construction site, the preparation of the Application Study and the drawing up of the Tender Documents are also progressing at an intensive pace, with the aim of the General Contractor of the construction of the project succeeding the Contractor of the Preliminary Works at the beginning of 2025, so that the construction of the building and of its surroundings to start in early 2025".
What will be the characteristics of the Holocaust Museum?
The Museum has a total area of approximately 9.000 mXNUMX, will consist of six above-ground and two underground floors and will be developed around a small urban grove. In addition to the permanent exhibition rooms, it will include periodical exhibition, archive, education and research rooms, as well as multi-purpose and leisure spaces and administrative offices, while the adjacent property will create outdoor parking.
The preparation of the Architectural study is co-signed by the architectural offices of Efrat Kowalsky Architects from Israel, Heide von Beckerath from Germany and P. Makridis & Associates SA. from Thessaloniki which have been framed by renowned scholars. The Museum is designed as a prominent monument inspired by the octagonal monuments of Thessaloniki, which during the night will diffuse light from the inside out, transforming the building into a living canvas that imitates the lighting of lighthouses. The design is based on the principles of sustainability and sustainability and the common goal of all parties involved is the certification of the project by the internationally recognized sustainable development system LEED".
Why did you choose Thessaloniki for the construction of the Museum?
Thessaloniki was chosen for the construction of the Holocaust Museum instead of Athens, due to the extent to which the city suffered during WWII. Thessaloniki was originally under German occupation, unlike most of Greece, which was under Italian or Bulgarian occupation. Adolf Hitler planned to incorporate the city into the Third Reich in retaliation for its involvement in WWI. In 1942, German forces began implementing the Nuremberg Laws in the city and ordered male Jews to appear in Freedom Square where they were publicly tortured and humiliated before being forced into forced labor near the train station. In 1943, the city's 56.000 Jews were transported, via 19 Holocaust trains, to the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, where 43.000 – 49.000 of them were killed. The train route from Thessaloniki to the concentration camps was the longest in distance of all the trains of the Holocaust, while the Jews were obliged to buy a ticket! From the 15th to the beginning of the 20th century, Thessaloniki was the only city in Europe where Jews constituted the majority of the population. However, only 2.000 Jews returned after the war and fewer than 1.000 remain today. In total, 80.000 Greek Jews, i.e. 85% of the entire Jewish population, perished during the Holocaust.
Source: website grtimes.gr, 9.9.2024
