The massive interest that accompanied the news that photos existed from the mass execution of Greek prisoners at the Kaisariani shooting range on May 1, 2944, by Nazi occupation forces, was unprecedented. Beyond all other deliberations, the preservation of these rare and historical documents is owed to a Belgian historian–dealer who collects material related to the Third Reich and the Second World War.

Tim de Craene has, to this day, sold thousands of similar photos, as the world learned about him, however, because of the publicity surrounding the Kaisarini executions. Most collectors, however, were already aware of his existence. After all, they are the ones who, out of love, obsession, a specific goal, or sometimes economic benefit, preserve history. Some had purchased—mostly via eBay—photos from the Belgian seller long before Greece’s culture ministry got involved, authenticated and purchased the entire collection.

“Ta Nea” spoke with two such collectors in Greece.

‘I started collecting at the age of 12’

Dimitris Skartsilakis lives in Rethymno. He is 43 years old and owns two pastry shops. His main interests are the German occupation of the large island and the Asia Minor Catastrophe. He is more than a collector; he takes it a step further. He researches and documents. In addition to photographs, he collects objects such as helmets, uniforms, equipment, fragments (even from airplanes), and more. I ask him how he got involved in something so unrelated to his work.

“My love for history and the experiences I inherited from my grandparents played a significant role, as did my contact with people who participated in the national resistance. I started collecting at the age of 12 and also read a lot. I was always impressed by photographic material, especially in the literature on the First and Second World Wars. I focus on modern military history of Greece, particularly of Crete—from the period of the revolution up to the Second World War.”

He wants to uncover the small stories that each of these objects “carries.” His dream is to eventually create a museum.

“The reason I collect objects from this period is that they help me better understand the dramatic events that occurred at the time, and additionally, they feel more familiar due to frequent contact with all kinds of historical material throughout the countryside and in the homes of the region.”

He seems to have both solid knowledge and good judgment regarding these artifacts. He has been buying for years and purchased material from the Belgian dealer long before the recent publicity. “I have been a client of Crain’s Militaria for years, and in my archive, I have many photos I bought from him in the past. He is a reliable dealer.” 

A chilling photograph shows Dimitris Drosakis, 28, shortly before his execution at the hands of German troops. He was shot for resisting the invasion of Axis forces at the Misiria site, in Rethymno prefecture, June 1941.

‘Many photographs are still hidden in drawers’

The second collector who had also purchased photographs in the past from the Belgian dealer’s Crain’s Militaria, and who has provided some of them to us for publication in Ta Nea Weekend, is Yannis Tsiompanos. He is 52 years old and lives permanently in Kozani, in northwest Greece. Besides being a collector, he is also a dealer.

He mainly specializes in historical documents related to his city and the wider region, covering various historical periods.

He studied in the University of Athens’ department of history and archaeology and “inherited” the collector’s passion from his father. As long as he can remember, he has been collecting and cataloguing objects. He began working professionally in this field 23 years ago, and since 2017 he has held an antiquarian dealer’s license from the Ministry of Culture.

I ask him whether there is a particular historical period that interests him more than others.

“The First World War exerts a special fascination for me, because the theater of events also extended into the Macedonia region, at a time when the peoples of the area had only recently been liberated from the Ottoman Empire.”