Greece’s dark past exposed after 33 bodies found in civil war-era mass grave

During bench installation at a park in Thessaloniki, Greece, workers uncovered 33 skeletons in unmarked burial pits near the Yedi Kule fortress, a site known as a prison where Communist sympathizers were tortured and executed during the 1946–49 Greek Civil War, Arab News reported.

Many skulls showed bullet wounds, and personal items like a woman’s shoe and a ring were found, offering poignant glimpses into the lives lost.

The discovery marks Greece’s first exhumation of a Civil War mass grave, reviving a painful chapter often left unaddressed to avoid reigniting political tensions. Descendants have visited the site, requesting DNA testing to identify relatives among the remains.

The conflict, which followed World War II, was a key moment in Cold War history, prompting U.S. anti-communist intervention under the Truman Doctrine. Despite the executions being publicly announced at the time, graves remained secret and unmarked, with little official acknowledgment after the war.

Local officials plan to expand excavations and conduct DNA testing to identify victims and return remains to families.