During a state visit to Greece, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier toured the future location of a Holocaust museum in Thessaloniki on Tuesday. This visit marks the start of a three-day trip aimed at highlighting historical remembrance and reconciliation.
Steinmeier went to the site situated near a historic railway station in Thessaloniki, a poignant location where countless Jews were deported to Nazi concentration camps during the German occupation in World War II. Tragically, over 90% of the vibrant Jewish population in the area perished in those camps.
After a ceremony where he met with leaders of the Jewish community and relatives of Holocaust survivors, Steinmeier reflected on the lasting impact of this dark chapter in history. “The atrocities committed against the Jewish people here leave an indelible mark – a memory that cannot be forgotten. Today, we find ourselves at the very site where these horrors took place, at the old railway station,” he stated.
Accompanying him was Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who recently visited the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland earlier this month. The museum’s construction, which is being funded by a combination of the German government, local authorities, and private contributors, began this year and is projected to be completed within two years.
David Saltiel, who leads the Central Jewish Council of Greece, expressed his optimism regarding the anticipated opening of the Holocaust Museum of Greece, which has been in planning for many years. He remarked, “This site will serve not just as a memorial to the millions of victims, but as a beacon – a strong symbol against racism and anti-Semitism that underscores the values of humanity, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.”
The museum is designed in an octagonal shape by a collaborative team of architects: Efrat-Kowalsky from Israel, Heide & von Beckerath from Germany, and Makridis Associates from Greece. Following his visit to Thessaloniki, Steinmeier is scheduled to continue to Athens and then to Crete, where he will pay his respects to a village devastated by German military actions during World War II.