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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Violetta HionidouORCiD
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Greece suffered a severe food crisis throughout the years of occupation 1941-1944. This evolved into a full-blown famine at times and in various localities, particularly during the winter of 1941-1942. In the period April 1941 to September 1943, Greece was occupied by German, Italian and Bulgarian forces. However, the responsibility for the famine was attributed almost exclusively to the Germans in the immediate post-war years, while the famine’s national collective memory focused exclusively on Athens in the winter of 1941-1942. This perception that Germany solely bears the responsibility has remained unabated. Contrasting this national collective memory are the recollections of the inhabitants of the islands of Syros and Mykonos. Both islands experienced Italian occupation until September 1943 and German occupation subsequently. In-depth interviews were conducted by the author on Mykonos in 1994 and on Syros in 2000, with elderly locals who lived through the two occupations. The informants spontaneously made the comparison between the two, and found the Italian one much harsher than the German one. Specifically regarding the famine, they attributed much of the responsibility to the Italian administration and the attitudes of Italian soldiers towards the population. This chapter examines the divergence between individual and collective memory of the Italian occupation and famine and explores the possible reasons behind this divergence.
Author(s): Hionidou V
Editor(s): Filippo Focardi, Despoina Konstantinakou
Publication type: Book Chapter
Publication status: In Press
Book Title: Greece and Italy after World War II: History, Perceptions, Memory
Year: 2025
Acceptance date: 25/06/2024
Publisher: Peter Lang
Place Published: Oxford
