Ioannina is a city northwest of Greece, located by the lake Pamvotis. It was the first Greek city involved in the Second World War operating as the headquarters of the Greek Army since the outbreak of the Greco-Italian war in October 1940. In April 1941, German forces attacked Greece from the north and despite their defense, the country signed an armistice and was placed under triple occupation by Germany, Italy and Bulgaria.&nbsp;From April 1940 until summer 1943, the region of Epirus was occupied by the Italian army. In summer 1943, the 1st Mountain Division of German Wehrmacht “Edelweiss” was transferred to Ioannina. During their stay, they enforced on the civilians a brutal retaliation policy for the actions of the Greek resistance.&nbsp;On the other side of Lake Pamvotis is the mountainous village Ligiades, overlooking the city of Ioannina. On 3 October 1943, a Sunday morning, the women of the village watched six trucks approaching the settlement. Almost all men were away for harvesting. Nazi troops looted the houses and burnt the buildings. Afterwards, they gathered the population in the square where they shot them with machine guns. 82 people were shot or burnt alive that day, 34 infants and children, 37 women and eleven&nbsp;elders.&nbsp;The Memorial of the Massacre of Ligiades was constructed in 2002 by the sculpture Efstathios Leontis and was placed in the central square of the village in 2005. The scenes of the memorial are inspired by true facts. On the left side, the names and the ages of the victims are commemorated.&nbsp;Behind the memorial, the old village school operates today as a cultural center and presents audiovisual archives that refer to the massacre. A memorial service is held every year at the church of Saint George, which is next to the school and has been an important religious center of Epirus since the 17th century.&nbsp;Ligiades was recognised as a “Martyred Village” and joined the Greek Network of “Martyred Villages and Towns”.&nbsp;

Greece

Municipality of Ioannina

A bronze outdoor sculpture shows several human figures in relief, including a central standing figure with a draped garment, a seated nude figure with a child-like figure in front, and another figure on the left. A bright sky and distant mountains are visible in the background.

 ​The scenes carved on the Memorial are inspired by true events that happened during the Massacre of Ligiades by the Nazi forces, in 1943. ​

​Detail from the Memorial of Ligiades Massacre, Ioannina​

A narrow paved walkway curves between low stone walls and gardens with flower beds. Large trees with green leaves overhang the path. In the background, there is a stone building with arched doorways and windows. 

 ​A square in Ligiades village next to the church of Saint George and the building of the cultural center where archives and documents from the Massacre of Ligiades are presented.​

Square in Ligiades village, Ioannina​

A large white memorial wall with a Greek text panel on the left and a bronze relief group in the center, with several bronze statues standing in front, including one on the right. Trees, hills, and houses are visible in the background.

The sculpture commemorates the 82 victims of the massacre held by the Nazi forces, that took place on October 3, 1943, in Ligiades village.​

 ​Memorial of Ligiades Massacre, Ioannina​

View of a hillside town along a large blue river or lake, with multiple bridges and clustered buildings. In the left foreground, a brick chimney and part of a roof are visible; in the right foreground, green trees and grassy slopes frame the scene, with mountains in the distance.

 ​Ligiades today is a beautiful traditional village, located above the Pamvotis lake of Ioannina. It preserves the historical memory of the massacre that took place on October 3, 1944. 

 ​Ligiades village above Lake Pamvotis, Ioannina​

Two adjacent stone buildings are shown against a clear blue sky. The left building has a chimney and several windows with red shutters; the right building has a dark arched doorway, a circular sign above it, a small rectangular notice board, and a roofline with stacked stone.

The church of Saint George was one of the few buildings saved from the fire that burnt the village during the Massacre of Ligiades, in 1943. A memorial service is held here every year, on October 3. ​

Mémorial du massacre de Ligiades

Ligiades, 45500 Ioannina

Photos

​​Mémorial du massacre de Ligiades​

​​Ligiades, 45500 Ioannina ​​​

Photos

Mémorial du massacre de Ligiades

Ligiades, 45500 Ioannina