Greece’s National Archaeological Museum opened a temporary exhibition on Tuesday, 10 October, examining Greek-German archaeological relations during the Second World War, including the seizure of materials from the German Archaeological Institute in Athens following the withdrawal of German occupation forces.
Titled A Divided Past: Greek-German Relations in Dark Times, the exhibition is organised by the National Archaeological Museum in collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Athens. It examines the seizure of the institute’s archaeological and archival materials after the war while tracing the relationship between the two institutions, particularly during the German occupation of Greece.
The exhibition runs until the end of January 2027 and presents preliminary findings from the Greek-German research programme A Divided Past: The Seizure of the DAI Athens in 1944 and the National Archaeological Museum. Launched in 2024, the programme concludes at the end of 2026 with funding from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office to support cultural heritage preservation. It features two exhibition venues: the National Archaeological Museum and the German Archaeological Institute in Athens.
Exhibition marks Athens’ liberation
Olympia Vik atou, Secretary-General for Culture, said the exhibition’s opening carried deep symbolic significance because it coincides with commemorations of Athens’ liberation from German occupation on 12 October 1944.
“The date reminds us of the heavy toll of war, the value of freedom and the need to preserve historical truth, even when it confronts us with the most difficult aspects of the past,” Vik atou said.
She also highlighted antiquities that German occupation forces stole or looted and that remain missing. Greece continues its efforts to recover and repatriate cultural objects illegally removed from the country.
The return of antiquities from countries including Germany, Austria and Bulgaria, alongside cases in which private individuals return objects their ancestors removed, demonstrates that addressing historical injustices remains a lengthy and complex process, she said.
However, Vik atou stressed that Greek-German archaeological relations extend beyond the painful experiences of the occupation.
She described the relationship as a complex history marked by different perspectives, contradictions and significant turning points. The collaboration, she added, has produced a substantial scientific legacy and enduring ties despite historical adversity and political tensions.
Research uncovers materials held for decades
Konstantinos Nikolentzos, Director-General of the National Archaeological Museum, said the research programme began examining ancient objects and archival materials that had remained in storage rooms and offices for decades.
He described the exhibition as an exploration of the darker periods in Greek-German relations, highlighting the contrast between peace and cooperation on one hand and war, destruction and suffering on the other.
Katja Sporn, Director of the German Archaeological Institute in Athens, discussed the memorandum of cooperation that the institute and the museum signed in 2024. The agreement established a framework for examining materials seized after the war from the institute’s building and from the private residence rented by its director, Walther Wrede, during the German occupation. The National Archaeological Museum holds these materials.
Researchers have examined and digitised the archival documents and antiquities, placing them within their historical context as part of the programme.
Sporn said the exhibition reflects a partnership between the two institutions that has lasted more than 150 years, interrupted only by the two world wars.
Although the exhibition focuses on the dark years of the occupation, it also highlights the institutions’ long-standing and productive cooperation before and after that period.
German ambassador highlights scientific cooperation
Germany’s ambassador to Greece, Andreas Kindl, described the exhibition as an outstanding example of Greek-German scientific cooperation and the shared history of science.
He expressed his gratitude to the institutions involved in processing the archival materials and to the people who worked on the project.
“Once again, culture and science demonstrate the strength of our bilateral relations,” Kindl said.
Two venues examine different aspects of the past
The National Archaeological Museum’s exhibition combines selected antiquities with extensive archival documents and photographs. Its sections cover the historical timeline, the relationship between the two institutions, the concealment of antiquities in 1940–41, the museum during the occupation, antiquities seized from the German Archaeological Institute and the 21st-century research programme A Divided Past.
The exhibition at the German Archaeological Institute focuses on the institute’s activities during the occupation and the history of its antiquities collection, tracing its formation and development from the late 19th century to the present.
Its sections examine the institute during the occupation, the history of its collection, the reconstruction of history through pottery sherds, and three case studies focusing on Argolis and Attica.
Together, the two exhibitions explore the impact of the occupation on archaeological institutions and collections while documenting the longer history of scientific cooperation between Greece and Germany.
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