<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Highlights from the Exhibition Opening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The exhibition opened its doors on November 5, 2025<\/strong>. More than 180 attendees<\/strong> joined the opening ceremony and were given a guided tour to discover the untold history of the people from Magnesia who were held in Nazi forced labour camps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Welcoming remarks were delivered by the Deputy Mayor of Culture, Ms. Elena Antonopoulou<\/strong>, and His Eminence Ignatios, Metropolitan of Demetrias<\/strong>. Regarding the exhibition’s content, Riki Van Boeschoten<\/strong> spoke on behalf of OPIVO<\/strong>, while educators Gerasimos Tsimbloulis<\/strong> (President of the “Citizens for the Volos City Museum” association) and Katerina Nanopoulou<\/strong> (member of OPIVO) presented the accompanying educational programmes. The discussion was moderated by Annita Prassa<\/strong>, Head of the General State Archives of Magnesia and member of OPIVO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The opening was graced by the presence of survivor and primary narrator of the exhibition, Theodoros Ayiotis<\/strong>, now 101 years old<\/strong>, as well as numerous descendants of the forced labourers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The daily guided tours, conducted by the research team of OPIVO<\/strong> and members of the “Citizens for the Volos City Museum”<\/strong> association, played a pivotal role in the exhibition’s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These tours were primarily designed for organized groups, including cultural and athletic associations, oral history groups, and museum enthusiast societies. However, they also attracted many casual visitors and tourists\u2014both international and local\u2014providing them with a unique opportunity to uncover this previously unknown chapter of local history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the final day of the exhibition, January 21, 2026, the University of Thessaly\u2019s “3rd Floor” theatre group transformed the story of the 235 camp prisoners from Magnesia into a vivid, moving experience. Under the guidance of Efi Stavrotheodorou, a theatre scholar and member of OPIVO, the performance deeply resonated with the audience, serving as a powerful and emotional conclusion to the exhibition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The visits by 2nd<\/sup> and 3rd<\/sup> generation relatives of forced labourers were profoundlymoving. <\/em>Through the exhibition displays, they often discovered the long-silenced history of their relatives. In some cases, these guided tours for family members provided the impetus for new accounts, further enriching the forced labourer\u2019s archive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/syrmata.cult.uth.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03a1\u03af\u03ba\u03b7-\u0392\u03b1\u03bd-\u039c\u03c0\u03bf\u03cd\u03c3\u03c7\u03bf\u03c4\u03b5\u03bd.jpg\")
Riki Van Boeschoten<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Metropolitan Ignatius<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Katerina Nanopoulou<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Theodoros Ayiotis<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Annita Prassa<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Gerasimos Tsibloulis<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Elena Antonopoulou<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nExhibition Perspectives at the Volos City Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Liberation<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Setting up the exhibition<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Those who did not return<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> The oral testimonies<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Camera and wallet of Parisis Maliokapis<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Return<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Card box with forced labourers\u2019 biographies<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> \u201cArbeit macht frei\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Panoramic view<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Map of concentration camps (courtesy Ann Knowles)<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> \u201cLast minute details\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Museographer D.Tsafou with OPIVO<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Visitors\u2019 comments on sticky notes<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> German radio of 1938 (Radio Museum of Lafko village)<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Under the spell of their voices<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Narrators\u2019 portraits<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Tablet<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nHighlights from the Guided Tours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nHighlights from the Theatrical Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Descendants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u0391 primary school student recognized his great-grandmother, Afroditi Koutrouli!<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div> Nephew and daughter of forced labourer Aslanis narrate their memories<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
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