Konstantinos Koukidis

Memorial for Konstantinos Koukidis

The flag on the Acropolis

Konstantinos Koukidis ( Greek Κωνσταντίνος Κουκίδης ; * 1924 (?); † April 27, 1941 in Athens ) was a legendary young man, allegedly an Evzone , who guarded the Greek flag on the Acropolis on April 27, 1941 and prevented it by his suicide . that this flag fell into the hands of the Wehrmacht .

Uncertain sources

The story of the heroic suicide of the guardian of the Greek flag on the Acropolis was first published in the Daily Mail on June 9, 1941 . It is widespread in Greece in various versions, some of which are richly decorated. Eyewitnesses are sometimes also cited who claim to have seen the fall or the corpse as children; However, data on the actual existence of Konstantin Koukidis have not survived; in particular, it seems doubtful that he was a soldier or Evzone. The party youth ONNE.D. the conservative Nea Dimokratia claims for Koukidis membership in the right-wing "National Organization of Youth" ( Organosis Neoleas, EON ), the youth organization of the Metaxas dictatorship . In part, its existence is also questioned.

April 27, 1941

When motorized units of the Wehrmacht occupied Athens and the Acropolis that day, Koukidis is said to have been asked by a German officer to surrender, bring down the Greek flag and hoist the swastika flag . Koukidis, loyal to the Greek state, is said to have taken down his country's flag, wrapped himself in it and jumped to suicide from the cliff on the eastern edge of the Acropolis. By doing this he prevented the national symbol of the Greeks from falling into the hands of the Wehrmacht and from being used for propaganda purposes.

today

The Greek flag on the Acropolis has a special national meaning for the Greeks, not only because it wafts over Athens and is visible from afar, but because of the importance of its location.

It is located on the roof of a bunker where the honor guard is located. The flag is hoisted every day at 6.30 a.m. and at sunset by an infantry guard. On Sundays this tradition is carried out by Evzone units wearing a special uniform.

Like Manolis Glezos and Apostolos Sandas , who tore the swastika flag down from the Acropolis on May 30, 1941, Koukidis is considered a hero of the national resistance, the guardian of the honor of the Greek flag .

Plaque

At the foot of the rocky cliff of the Acropolis, a memorial stone with the following inscription is placed in Koukidi's honor today:

"27 Απριλιου 1941, την Ημέρα εισόδου των γερμανικών στρατευμάτων στην Αθήνα ο Κωνσταντίνος Κουκίδης φρουρός τής Ελληνικής σημαίας στην Ακρόπολη αρνούμενος να την παράδοση έπεσε απο τον ιερό βράχο τυλιγμένος σε αυτή πρωτοπόρος του αντιστασιακού αγώνα

Στήλη τοποθετήθηκε απο τον Δήμο Αθηναίων επί Δημαρχίας Δημ. Λ. Αβραμόπουλου σε συνεργασία με την Κίνηση Ενωμένη Εθνική Αντίσταση το Ετος 2000

On April 27, 1941, the day the German troops marched into Athens, Konstantin Koukidis, guardian of the Greek flag on the Acropolis, refused to surrender and threw himself wrapped in the sacred rock, pioneer of the resistance struggle

Column erected by the Municipality of Athens during the tenure of Mayor Dim. L. Avramopoulos, in collaboration with the United National Resistance Movement in 2000 "

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Daily Mail of June 9, 1941 : A Greek Carries his Flag To The Death. Costa Koukidis, a Greek soldier, was guarding Greece's blue and white flag on the Acropolis, in Athens, when a squad of uniformed Nazis marched up to him. 'Haul that down they said and run up this Swastika banner'. Costa slowly hazed down his country's colors. He paused a moment with eyes fixed on the German officer. Then he wrapped the flag around his body and buried himself over the roof-high battlements. That story has just reached me through Greek channels.
   Translation: A Greek takes his flag with him to death. Kostas Koukidis, a Greek soldier, was guarding Greece's blue and white flag on the Acropolis in Athens when a unit of uniformed Nazis marched up to him. “Take it down,” they told him, “and pull up this swastika flag.” Kostas slowly pulled down the colors of his country. He paused for a moment, his eyes fixed on the German officer. Then he wrapped the flag around his body and threw himself over the roof-high walls. This story just reached me through Greek channels.
2. ↑ Styx (Greek)
3. ↑ άποψη, organ of ONNED Munich from February 2004  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ), p. 21
4. ↑ The Kyriatiki Eleftherotypia of October 22, 2000 ( online (Greek) ) doubts its existence and quotes the Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos : “We honor Koukidis, although historical research has not produced any scientific evidence for his existence or for his deed. But the legend was and is real, and has existed from the first moment. So the question is not whether the Evzones Koukidis existed. The question is whether we, today's Greeks, want him to exist. "
5. ↑ ^{a b} Information about Greek Evzones on www.greeceindex.com , accessed on November 28, 2009 (English)
6. ↑ The tradition of hoisting the Greek flag on the Acropolis at www.athensinfoguide.com , accessed on November 28, 2009 (English)

Web links

• Anthemio, Publication of the Association of Friends of the Acropolis Issue 7 October 2000 with numerous illustrations p. 9 f. (Greek)

Coordinates: 37 ° 58 ′ 17.8 "  N , 23 ° 43 ′ 42.3"  E