The Mesovouno massacre ( el, Οι σφαγές του Μεσόβουνου) refers to two massacres perpetrated by members of the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

in the village of Mesovouno in

Ptolemaida Ptolemaida ( el, Πτολεμαΐδα, Ptolemaïda, Katharevousa: Πτολεμαΐς, ''Ptolemaïs'') is a town and a former municipality in Kozani regional unit, Western Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of th ...

, Greece, during the Axis occupation of Greece, carried out on 23 October 1941 and 22 April 1944. On 23 October 1941, the Wehrmacht soldiers gathered all men aged 16–69 years old, killed them with machine guns and set the houses on fire. In 1944 the village was razed by Nazi troops two days before the massacre of the village

Pyrgoi Pyrgoi ( el, Πύργοι, before 1927: Κατράνιτσα - ''Katranitsa'') is a village and a community of the Eordaia municipality. It is located in Northern Greece, in the region of Western Macedonia. Before the 2011 local government refo ...

in Ptolemaida. A total of 268 civilians were killed. In the 1941 massacre, Mesovouno was part of a series of mass executions by the Nazis that took place from 17 to 28 of October, the rest being the executions of the inhabitants of the villages Kalokastro and Kerdylia in

Serres Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki. Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...

, of Kleisto, Kidonia and Ambelofyto in

Kilkis Kilkis ( el, Κιλκίς) is a city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2011 there were 22,914 people living in the city proper, 28,745 people living in the municipal unit, and 51,926 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city o ...

. There are annual wakes in the village in memory of the victims, in which members of the

Greek Parliament The Hellenic Parliament ( el, Ελληνικό Κοινοβούλιο, Elliniko Kinovoulio; formally titled el, Βουλή των Ελλήνων, Voulí ton Ellínon, Boule of the Hellenes, label=none), also known as the Parliament of the He ...

and the

President of Greece The president of Greece, officially the President of the Hellenic Republic ( el, Πρόεδρος της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας, Próedros tis Ellinikís Dimokratías), commonly referred to in Greek as the President of the Rep ...

officially participate.

References

{{coord missing, Greece Nazi war crimes in Greece 1941 in Greece 1944 in Greece Conflicts in 1941 Mass murder in 1944 Mass murder in 1941 Conflicts in 1944 Massacres in 1941 Massacres in 1944 Massacres in Greece during World War II Massacres of men Violence against men in Europe October 1941 events April 1944 events War crimes of the Wehrmacht