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WWII German bunker on Crete turned into museum

Discussion in 'WWII Today' started by PzJgr, May 23, 2018.

  1. PzJgr

    PzJgr Drill Instructor

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    A unique museum that travels back to the period of the German occupation on Crete was created by volunteers and donations in Ano Platanias, near Chania, on the island of Crete. The museum is housed in German bunker used during the Battle of Crete which was launched on 20. May 1941.

    The memories and a very important part of the history of that time are “revived” at a depth of eight metres underground, inside tunnels dug by the Cretan captives used as forced labour by the Germans, who used the tunnels to store ammunition during the occupation (1942-1945).

    According to Platanias Mayor Yiannis Malandrakis, the museum created “in addition to documenting and presenting the history of the Battle of Crete though exhibits, is also steeped in history for Platanias”.

    After the end of the war, the place was used by local residents as a storage area until the initiative to turn it into a war museum was launched.

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    According to official page of the museum on Facebook, there was a secret that saved Platanias residents from a Nazis massacre.

    The construction of the shelter itself is related to an interesting local story. During the Battle of Crete a heavily wounded German pilot died in Platanias after he was nursed by locals for several days. The strong fear for Nazi reprisals and executions of innocent civilians forced the villagers to bury the German soldier in a secret grave near the church. Unfortunately, some days later this exact spot was chosen by the German officer in order to begin the excavations for the shelter construction.

    Mihalis Stamatakis, a smart church commissioner, persuaded the Nazis to move the tunnel entrance thus not revealing the secret soldiers grave and consequently saving the village from certain massacre. He invoked the holiness of an olive tree that stands in the same place at the main entrance of the war shelter to this day.

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    The bunker-museum is 200 metres long and has 13 halls that have been preserved in their original form.

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    The visitors can see unique exhibits from WWII, such as uniforms, ammunition, furniture, helmets and other objects, mostly from private collections. The donors are approximately 210.

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    Picture from 2013, during cleaning works

    On some parts of the walls the visitor can see names of German soldiers who served in the area, the German cross or swastikas. Anti-aircraft guns (flak), torpedo tubes and sea mines are on display in the surrounding area.

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    Bunker entrance -picture from 2013

    A special leaflet in Greek and in English is available for visitors.

    Source:
    WWII German bunker on Crete turned into museum to remind of the Battle of Crete - Keep Talking Greece
     
    gtblackwell likes this.
  2. gtblackwell

    gtblackwell Member Emeritus

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    I found this Interesting as I have not heard of recent museums being opened about WW2. This one may lack the weapons and accouterments of most war museums it is nevertheless of interest given the notoriety of the Battle of Crete. It seems as long as soldiers, I guess that should read any people, there appears to be an urge to leave their signatures and marks of having been there. Twice, on architectural explorations of older buildings, I have found German soldier's markings in the attics of a chateau in Belgium and a villa in the Po River valley in Italy. They were clearly known to the owners but not open to the public. Glad these of public now.
     

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