The Skourvoula executions ( el, εκτελέσεις στα Σκούρβουλα) refer to the mass execution by
firing squad of 36 civilians of which 22 women, at the village of
Skourvoula in
Crete,
Greece by
German Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
forces on 14 August 1944 during
World War II.
[Stephan D. Yada-Mc Neal ''Schlachthaus Griechenland: Deutsche, bulgarische und italienische Kriegsverbrechen in Griechenland 1941 - 1945'', BoD – Books on Demand, 2020.](_blank)
/ref>
Background
The village of Skourvoula ( el, Σκούρβουλα) is located at an altitude of , southwest of Heraklion. It is built on the southern slopes of Mt Psiloritis, overlooking the Messara Plain.
During the Axis occupation of Crete, the entire region of Psiloritis sheltered local resistance fighters and British SOE SOE may refer to:
Organizations
* State-owned enterprise
* Special Operations Executive, a British World War II clandestine sabotage and resistance organisation
** Special Operations Executive in the Netherlands, or Englandspiel
* Society of Opera ...
agents. To intimidate the civilian population, General Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller who was commanding the German garrison on Crete during the summer of 1944, had issued orders for retaliatory measures against the population of "hostile" villages.[Marlen von Xylander ''Die deutsche Besatzungsherrschaft auf Kreta 1941–1945'', Rombach, Freiburg, 1989, p.125.]
The executions
On 12 August 1944, two German soldiers stationed at Tympaki arrived at Skourvoula, tasked with the collection of eggs for the provision of the occupation troops. On their way back, they were ambushed by partisans who shot and killed them. In fear of German reprisals, the male inhabitants of Skourvoula decided to flee to the mountain. On the following day, carrying out Müller's orders, a German company marched into Skourvoula and arrested all villagers. After interrogations and brief imprisonment, they were released and allowed to return to their homes.
On 14 August 1944, German forces returned and rounded up the inhabitants. A total of 36 locals, mostly from Skourvoula but also from the neighboring villages Magarikari, Kamares and Petrokefalo were shot at a site near the southwest edge of the village in front of the eyes of their relatives.[Καζαντζάκης, Ν., Καλιτσουνάκης, Ι. και Κακριδής, Ι.Θ. ]
Έκθεσις της Κεντρικής Επιτροπής Διαπιστώσεως Ωμοτήτων εν Κρήτη
'. Σύνταξις 29/6 - 6/8/1945. Έκδοση Δήμου Ηρακλείου, 1983, p. 68.
Aftermath
No reparations
Reparation(s) may refer to:
Christianity
* Restitution (theology), the Christian doctrine calling for reparation
* Acts of reparation, prayers for repairing the damages of sin
History
* War reparations
** World War I reparations, made from ...
were ever paid to the families of the victims. Müller was found guilty of ordering atrocities against civilians in Crete and was executed by firing squad on 20 May 1947.
A monument in remembrance of the victims has been erected at the place of their execution.
See also
* Razing of Anogeia
*Holocaust of Kedros
The Holocaust of Kedros ( el, Ολοκαύτωμα του Κέντρους/Κέδρους), also known as the Holocaust of Amari ( el, Ολοκαύτωμα του Αμαρίου), was the mass murder of the civilian residents of nine villages lo ...
* Malathyros executions
* Viannos massacres
References
External links
German occupation of Crete: Skourvoula
(in German -
translate
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skourvoula executions
Mass murder in 1944
Nazi war crimes in Greece
1944 in Greece
Massacres in Greece during World War II
Massacres of men
Massacres of women
Violence against women in Greece
August 1944 events
Crete in World War II
War crimes of the Wehrmacht