Its construction is expected to be put up for auction in 2023. Holocaust Museum in Thessalonikias long as there are no further delays. A few days ago, the necessary city layout was changed, resolving the issues that had arisen, so that with the completion of the research that is currently underway, the path will open for the main building part.

The museum is expected to make an important contribution to the history of Thessaloniki, since the destruction of 50,000 Sephardi Jews in the city and the subsequent disappearance of all traces of the Jewish community was a “vile secret” of the city ten years ago.

The decision to build the Holocaust Museum near the Thessaloniki Trade Station was made about ten years ago because of its historical importance: “death trains” departed from there, transporting more than 50,000 Jews of Thessaloniki to concentration camps. To this end, in 2013, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Israeli Community of Thessaloniki, GAIAOSE and the Municipality of Thessaloniki. Subsequently, in 2014, the Israeli community, which will take over the implementation of the project, leased the required space from GAIAOSE and in 2017 a presidential decree was issued defining land use and development conditions on the site.

However, the facts have changed along the way. It turned out that in the end the area in question did not belong to the OSE (that is, the GAIAOSE leadership) in the first place. In addition, the area was small and sufficient only for the museum, but not for the necessary accompanying spaces (parking and greenery). This was followed in 2021 by a legislative regulation, according to which a real estate exchange took place between OSE and the Municipality of Thessaloniki in order to provide the necessary space. And it was initiated to amend the presidential decree, which was published a few days ago in the Government Gazette (Government Gazette 850D / 2022).

With the new urban plan, a new building block is created with exceptional use of culture.

In accordance with the new urban plan, a new building block with the exclusive use of culture is being created, with a total area of ​​15.8 acres, of which 3,166 sq.m. related to museum buildings. The buildable area has a building factor of 2.4, a coverage of 40% and a maximum height of 32 meters. The height refers specifically to a special building that will present the history of the railroad in the city.

Completion and announcement

The project will be implemented by the Israelite Community of Thessaloniki (a legal entity of public law that has existed for over 100 years). “All the studies required for the issuance of a building permit have already been submitted and are being prepared, such as architectural, museological, static, etc. We anticipate that they will be completed during the first quarter of 2023, so the tender announcement can follow,” he says to “K” Community President David Saltiel. The project budget is currently estimated at 29 million euros (due to increased raw materials), of which 10 million euros will be covered by the German government and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, while the remaining 9 million euros will be provided by the state.

“The museological research is carried out in cooperation with the Community’s Center for Jewish Studies at AUTH. The goal is to create a modern museum that will cover the history of the Jews of Thessaloniki and the Holocaust and complement the history of the city. We are sure that he will become a magnet. Its location at the old railway station, where the end of our community in Thessaloniki began, is of great symbolic importance, and we hope that it will also help in the overall beautification of the area,” concludes Mr. Saltiel.

“A project of high symbolism and international scope, which will contribute to the preservation of the historical memory of the Holocaust, as well as the modernization of the western entrance to Thessaloniki, has entered the next phase,” Deputy Minister of the Interior Department responsible for Macedonia and Thrace Affairs, Stavros Kalafatis, commented on Monday. “This will be one of the largest and most iconic Holocaust museums in the world. This is a duty to which we respond with respect for the past and a sense of responsibility for the future.”