Shooting Range of Kaisariani, World War II memorial and shooting range in Kaisariani, Greece.
The Shooting Range of Kaisariani, known as the Altar of Freedom, is a memorial park on the site of a former military firing range. It covers 110,000 square metres designated a historical monument in 1984. The park holds the Place of the 200 Patriots, a monument to the national resistance, a children's health centre, a kindergarten, a neoclassical building and an open-air cinema.
During World War II, German Wehrmacht forces used the site between 1942 and 1944 as an execution ground. Hundreds of Greek civilians died there, often as retaliation for resistance activities against occupation forces.
The site is called the Altar of Freedom, and its focal point is the Place of the 200 Patriots, named for the 200 prisoners executed on 1 May 1944. The wider grounds also hold a monument to the national resistance, a health centre for children, a counselling centre for people with disabilities, a kindergarten, a neoclassical building and an open-air cinema.
The memorial is located in eastern Athens and requires planning before visiting. It is best to contact local authorities ahead of time to confirm access arrangements and timing for your visit.
A German federal president visited the memorial in 1987 to honor the victims and acknowledge shared history between nations. This gesture symbolized reconciliation between two countries that were enemies during the war.
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