The LRE Foundation is strengthening its presence in Greece by welcoming the Municipality of Ioannina into its international network.
This addition marks a step towards stronger collaboration between Greece and other European countries on issues of WWII remembrance. It also enhances the Foundation’s multiperspective approach to history, shedding light on Europe’s wartime past through different angles, promoting mutual understanding at a transnational level and across communities.
Ioannina is a city built on the west bank of Lake Pamvotis, a naturally fortified position. Its history goes back to the Hellenistic period, and it has been the capital city of the Region of Epirus in northwestern Greece since the 10th century. During the Second World War, Ioannina became the headquarters of the Greek Army that defended against the Italian attack in 1940. In April 1941, it was intensively bombed by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). In 1944, during the Axis occupation, the Jewish community in Ioannina was rounded up by the German forces and sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, while hundreds of civilians were massacred.
The Mayor of Ioannina, Mr Thomas K. Begkas, highlights the need to keep the memory of the war victims alive, so that the horror and the bigotry of the war will never be forgotten and repeated.
‘We are urging for a society based on mutual respect and peace”, he says. “We need to stay united against all forms of hatred and fanaticism. Historical memory is not a luxury; it is a duty.’
Managing Director of LRE Foundation, Rémi Praud, notes: ‘By welcoming the Municipality of Ioannina into our network, we aim to acknowledge and widely share the wartime experiences endured in Greece and to connect them with the history of the Second World War in Europe. We hope to strengthen these historical links and develop meaningful partnerships.’
Ioannina is one of many Greek regions deeply affected by the Nazi Occupation. The Municipality’s efforts to preserve this memory resonate across the LREF network, and we aim to support exchanges that help younger generations understand this legacy and promote mutual respect.
