Choristi (, before 1927: Τσατάλτζα – ''Tsataltza'',
– ''Chataldzha'') is a town in
Drama municipality,
Drama regional unit,
East Macedonia and Thrace region,
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. The town is located about 8 km southeast of Drama and has a population of 2,512 (2021 census). The elevation is approximately 98 m.
History
According to the statistics of
Vasil Kanchov
Vasil Kanchov (26 July 1862 – 6 February 1902) was a geographer, ethnographer and teacher who served as Minister of Education of Bulgaria.
Early life and education
Vasil Kanchov was born in Vratsa. Upon graduating from High school i ...
("Macedonia, Ethnography and Statistics"), 1.750
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
and 300
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Turkey
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic lang ...
lived in the village in 1900.
The town was known as Τσατάλτζα – ''Tsataltza'',
[ until renamed in 1927. During ]World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
from 1916 to 1918 the town was occupied by Bulgarian troops and the local men were shipped out to concentration camps in Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
. Due to abuse, hunger and disease from the 525 hostages of Choristi less than 50 managed to return to Greece.
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the occupying Axis powers
The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
executed a number of people in Choristi as "terrorists" or "resistance fighters" or their sympathizers, this came to be known as the "Choristi Massacre".[Michal, Bernard (1971) ''Histoire Secrète des Maquis Étrangers'' (''The Secret History of the Resistance – outside France'') Ed. de Crémille, Geneva, volume 4, page 20, , in French]
References
{{Drama div
Populated places in Drama (regional unit)
Drama, Greece