During the years 1946-1949 following WWII, a Civil War was well under way in Greece.The country’s war was a polarized political struggle between the Greek Governmental Army and the Democratic Army. Those involved with the Democratic Army, even by mere association, were accused of being ‘anti-patriots’ and enemies of the State. Upon their capture they were sent to isolated islands that were officially declared unfit for human habitation, Makronisos, Yaros, and Trikeri to name a few.
These islands were concentration camps, under the disguise of rehabilitation centers, designed to horrifically torture and humiliate prisoners who stood up for what they believed and refused to sign the Declaration of Repentance, deloseis metanoias, so they can once again become the men, women and children of Greece.
Although there is documentation about the atrocities that occurred to the men during that period, an important part of that history involved women of all ages and backgrounds. There is very little documentation of what took place on Trikeri and the other islands where women were exiled. To date, there is no mention in Greek textbooks about this dark period or the government’s role in these historical events.
Years later, after the camps were phased out, seven sole surviving notebooks written by the women of Trikeri in secrecy and buried under a tree during their imprisonment, have surfaced to speak the truth about their suffering and how they managed to survive and keep their spirit unbroken. The women’s own voices bring to light a part of history the Greek government continues to repress.
