27/01/2025
🌟 Eleftherias Square: A Square of Memory and Honor 🌟
Did you know that Thessaloniki was once called the "Jerusalem of the Balkans"? At the end of the 19th century, over 50% of its population was Jewish.
The city’s history changed tragically in 1943. On March 15, the first train departed from Thessaloniki carrying 2,800 Jews, crammed into overcrowded wagons designed for animals. They embarked on a journey that lasted for days under horrific conditions – a journey with no return.By August 10, a total of 46,061 Jews were deported, wiping out one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe.
After World War II, fewer than 2,000 Jews returned to Thessaloniki.
🕍 At the heart of Thessaloniki, Eleftherias Square stands as a poignant reminder of its tragic history.On July 11, 1942, thousands of the city’s Jews were forced to gather here, humiliated, tortured, and marked, paving the way for the tragedy of the Holocaust.
Today, Eleftherias Square is more than just a place:
📍 It is a memorial to the 50,000 Jews of Thessaloniki who were lost.
📍A space for reflection, standing against intolerance and forgetfulness.
📍A place of memory, reminding us that we must never allow history to repeat itself.
✨ On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, let us honor those who were lost and commit to “Never Again.”
Learn more about the Center of Thessaloniki Tour with Aaron here: https://www.xpriencethess.eu/en/route1/