Konstantinos Koukidis

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

Unsafe source location

The story of the heroic suicide of the Guardian of the Greek flag at the Acropolis was first published on 9 June 1941 in the Daily Mail. It is widely used in various, partially detailed embellished versions in Greece. This part also eyewitnesses are cited, which claim to have seen children as the fall or the body; Data on the actual existence of Constantine Koukidis are not preserved; in particular seems doubtful that he had been a soldier or Evzone. The party youth O.N.NE.D. the conservative New Democracy party complained Koukidis for membership in the right " National Organization of Youth" ( Organosis Neoleas, EON ), the youth organization of the Metaxas dictatorship. Partial is proven its existence in question.

April 27, 1941

As motorized units of the Armed Forces on this day Athens and the Acropolis occupied, Koukidis to have been prompted by a German officer to surrender, seek the Greek flag and to hoist the swastika flag. Koukidis, loyal to the Greek state should, caught up with the flag of his country, have been wrapped up in this and have jumped from the cliff on the eastern edge of the Acropolis in the suicide. By this act he has prevented the national symbol of the Greeks fell into the hands of the armed forces and could be exploited for propaganda purposes.

Today

The Greek flag at the Acropolis has for the Greeks, not only because it blows over Athens and is widely visible, but because of the importance of their location a special national significance.

It is located on the roof of a bunker, where the honor guard is located. The flag is hoisted every day at 6:30 clock and caught at sunset by a guard unit of infantry. On Sundays, this tradition is carried out by units of the Evzonen wearing a special uniform.

Koukidis applies similar Manolis Glezos and Apostolos Sanda, the swastika flag from the Acropolis tore down on 30 May 1941 as a hero of national resistance, as a guard of honor of the Greek flag.

Plaque

At the foot of the cliff of the Acropolis today Koukidis erected in honor of a memorial stone with the following inscription:

" 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 of the invasion of the German troops in Athens, refused Konstantin Koukidis, guardian of the Greek flag at the Acropolis, the surrender, threw himself enveloped by the Holy Rock, champion of the resistance struggle

Pillar erected by the municipality of Athens in term of the mayor Dim L. Avramopoulos, in cooperation with the United National Resistance Movement in 2000 "