Fire in Thessaloniki in 1917
The fire in Thessaloniki in 1917 was a disaster in the Greek city of Thessaloniki . The on August 5th jul. / August 18, 1917 greg. The major fire that broke out lasted 32 hours, destroyed 9,500 structures in the southern city center and covered an area of around one square kilometer.
Situation before the fire
In 1913, Thessaloniki had 157,889 registered residents. During the First World War this number grew rapidly due to refugees, so that by 1916 it is assumed that the total population will be 271,000. In addition to that, the city's main supply port for at since 1915 Salonica used Armée d'Orient was. A large number of its more than 300,000 soldiers were stationed in the immediate vicinity of the city.
Cause and spread
The fire broke out around 3:00 p.m. at 3 Olympiados Street, a refugee shelter in the Mevlane district. This emerges from the interrogations by the local district court on September 5th. In a kitchen, flying sparks ignited straw stored nearby . Due to the scarcity of water and the lack of cooperation in the neighborhood, the fire could not be extinguished initially. The fire spread in two directions: from Diikitirio (a government building) across Agiou Dimitriou street and from the market to Leontos Sofou street. While the Diikitirio was quickly saved, the rest of the fire developed further into the city center on two fronts due to the wind. In the early morning the wind changed direction and destroyed the entire trading center. It reached Hagia Sophia around 12:00 p.m. and continued eastwards to Ethnikis Amynis Street (formerly Hamidie ), where it died. On the evening of August 6th, Jul. / August 19, 1917 greg. all fires were extinguished.
Fire fighting problems
The spread of the fire was favored by the close development of the town with wooden houses and strong winds. In addition, there was no organized fire brigade and - also due to the population increase - there was a lack of water. French and British soldiers helped with the fire fighting and were able to save some buildings, and they also carried out evacuations. A Greek investigation into the fire, however, made serious accusations against the Entente , particularly against the French troops. So u have. a. there was not enough extinguishing water available for the fire fighting, since the majority of the water reservoirs were used for field camps on the outskirts, which had not given up any water upon request. French troops were also not determined enough to blow up buildings to prevent the fire from spreading. There were also reports of looting, two convicted soldiers were shot dead on the orders of the French general Maurice Sarrail .
Damage
The fire destroyed 9,500 buildings, three quarters of the old town and 32% of the city were destroyed: Agiou Dimitriou, Leontos Sofou, Nikis, Ethnikis Amynis, Alexandrou Svolou, and Egnatia (from Agia Sofia). The post office, the telegraph office, the town hall, the company headquarters for the water and gas supply, the Ottoman Bank , the National Bank, valuables from the Bank of Athens, parts of the church building Hagios Demetrios , two Orthodox churches, twelve mosques and 16 of 33 synagogues were completely destroyed . The fire destroyed 4,096 of 7,695 stores and 70% of all jobs in the private sector were lost. The large Jewish community in particular was hit hard. Of the approximately 79,000 people left homeless by the fire, more than 50,000 were Jews, approximately 12,500 Orthodox Christians and 10,000 Muslims. Despite the extent of the disaster, there were hardly any fatalities.
Relief efforts
Aid for the victims began on the first day, after all, the authorities set up 100 emergency shelters for 800 families. The British armed forces set up three campsites with a total of 1,300 tents for 7,000 people. The French military built accommodation for 400 families. The Greek authorities set up food supplies for 30,000 people. The American, British and French armed forces and the Red Cross were also involved in food aid. The Greek government provided 1.5 million drachmas in emergency aid. Furthermore, nationwide donations were called for. 5,000 victims were taken to the cities of Athens , Volos and Larissa by rail free of charge . Several hundred Jews emigrated to Western Europe and the USA.
Follow and rebuild
The affected area was rebuilt under the direction of Ernest Hébrard . Hébrard took the opportunity to make corrections to the city map and to create avenues and squares.
literature
- Prof. Dr. Ch. K. Papastathis & Dr. EA Hekimoglou. The Great Fire of Thessaloniki (1917) , Thessaloniki, 2010.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Prof. Dr. Ch. K. Papastathis & Dr. EA Hekimoglou. The Great Fire of Thessaloniki (1917) , Thessaloniki, 2010, p. 12
- ↑ Loukianos Hassiotis: Greece, in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. By Ute Daniel, Peter Gatrell, Oliver Janz, Heather Jones, Jennifer Keene, Alan Kramer, and Bill Nasson, issued by Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 2014-10-08. doi: 10.15463 / ie1418.10043 .
- ↑ Hekimoglou, pp. 12-14.
- ↑ Hekimoglou, pp. 14-15.
- ^ Mark Mazower, Salonica City of Ghosts, New York 2005, pp. 300-301.
- ↑ Hekimoglou, pp 15-16.