Eleftherias Square
| Eleftherias Square | |
|---|---|
| City Square | |
| Greek: Πλατεία Ελευθερίας | |
| Design: | Ernest Hébrard |
| Construction: | 1920 |
| Opening date: | 1920 |
| Owner: | Municipality of Thessaloniki |
| Location: | Thessaloniki, Greece |
Eleftherias Square (Greek: Πλατεία Ελευθερίας, Plateia Eleftherias, "Freedom Square") is a central square in downtown Thessaloniki, Greece. The square has a historical value for the city of Thessaloniki and the Thessalonian Jews.
History
Before 1870
Before becoming a square, the site was occupied by the city's sea wall, along with a Byzantine-era tower to guard the entrance of the port. In the Ottoman period this tower was called Top Hane. After 1870, when the demolition of the wall began, the sea would reach the middle of the known square.[1]
After 1870
The demolition of the wall to make easier the entry to the port created more space and helped the mobility of the ships. The opening of the Sambri Pasha road (nowadays Venizelou Street) created a small square. It was initially called Plateia Apovathras (Dock Square) and later Plateia Olympou (Olympus Square). It instantly became the most cosmopolitan spot of the city. There was a restaurant called Olympos and a hotel called Olympos Palace along with numerous other hotels and bars on both sides of Venizelou Street. From the Great Fire of 1917, only the Stein Mansion was saved.[1]
After the 1917 fire - Ernest Hébrard’s plans
After the fire, the square was reconstructed by the French architect Ernest Hébrard. His initial plans were to construct a central post, call and telegraph office in the middle of the square and banks and other buildings in the perimeter. He did not succeed due to the instability of the ground. In 1924, Hotel Ritz was built in the corner of Venizelou and Mitropoleos Street but was eventually destroyed in the fire of 1968. Two more buildings were added in 1929. Left of the Hotel Ritz, the building of Ioniki Bank and in the corner of Mitropoleos and Dragoumi Street the building of Bank of Greece, which still stands.[1]
During World War II
In the summer of 1942, on a "black Saturday", as it came to be known, all Jewish men aged from 18 to 45 were commanded to present themselves at the square to be called forth for forced labor. On the same day, 6000 or 7000 of them were gathered in the square, surrounded by German soldiers with automatic guns. The Nazi clean-up at concentration camps costed the life of 50,000 Thessalonian Jews.[1]
There is a Holocaust memorial in the southern corner of the square.
References
- 1 2 3 4 Tzimou, Kya. "Πλατεία Ελευθερίας: Το παρελθόν, το παρόν και το μέλλον της". www.parallaximag.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 6 May 2015.
Coordinates: 40°38′02″N 22°56′17″E / 40.634°N 22.938°E