“Solving the problem of the German dept towards Greece is a prerequisite for the establishment of the friendship between the two countries Greece and Germany that can serve as the background for the United Europe and also constitutes a necessary convention for the consolidation of Peace. Already, the success in the case of Distomon, after the completion of the judicial processes and the decision of the Italian Supreme Court in which it is noted that German compensation should be paid to the descendants of the victims of Distomo will demonstrate whether this will be the onset of a friendship”, underlined in an interview to “In-On” magazine, the president of the “National Council Bid for Debt of Germany to Greece”, Manolis Glezos.
Manolis Glezos went on “Greece constitutes a holocaust because 13, 5% of the Greek population was killed during the German Occupation. Wherever you ask either in the northern borders or south to Crete people talk about their beloved who were sent to the firing squads of the Nazi conquerors”.
It has to be noted he continued that even the so-called “forced loan” towards Germany on behalf of Greece which was one of the main causes of the economic misery and the death from hunger of thousands of Greeks, has not been paid off, Yet, a few weeks before the collapse of Nazi Germany, the people in charge of the “Reichsbank” German Bank clearly recognized and expressed their opinion on the existence of this very “German dept towards Greece”, which was then estimated 3,5 billion dollars, market value of 1938”.
Here it is worth mentioning -he clarified- that the priceless human lives of the hundreds of thousands Greeks that were executed, died of hunger, killed by stray bullets and bombardment have not been acknowledged yet. Additionally, the stolen archeological treasures have not been estimated because in this case they have to be returned. It must become known that Italy and Bulgaria fulfilled their obligations towards Greece whereas Germany excludes itself and does not pay off.
According to the Agreement “2+4” in Moscow in 1990 between the two German countries (East Germany and West Germany), the U.S.A, the U.K, France and the former USSR it was signed that until 1995 all the countries concerned should put the issue of debt on to the German Government. The Greek Government just before the end of 1995 raised relative claims from the German Government.
Today, as Manolis Glezos stresses, the Greek claims from Germany include the reparations to the public and the compensation of the victims. The archeological treasures are included in the Public debts towards the Forced Loan. The current value of the loan without interest is 54 billion Euros. The amount of 7, 1 billion dollars from the compensation that was awarded in favor of Greece against Germany during the Peace Conference in Paris reaches the amount today of 108 billion dollars without interest. In total, not including the compensation of the victims it reaches the amount of 1, 5 trillion Euros, the forced loan and the reparations for the economic destruction of Greece with an interest of 3% from 1944 till today.
At the same time not Glezos himself but the «National Council» seek to put an English inscription next to the Greek one on the rock of the Acropolis that refers in Greek that Manolis Glezos and Lakis Santas tore down the swastika. Furthermore, they claim the repeal of Article 923 of the Code of Civil Procedure that prohibits the seizure of property of foreign nations in Greece.
Curriculum Vitae
Manolis Glezos was born in the village of Apiranthos in Naxos in September 1922. He was the son of Machi Nafpliotou and Nikos Glezos.
In 1935, he moved to Athens and in 1940 he succeeded in the entrance exams at ASOEE (school of Economics). Still a student he participated in the creation of an anti-fascist group (1939) aiming to liberate the Dodecanese, whereas during the German occupation he actively participated in the resistance.
On May 30th to May the 31st 1941 himself along with Apostolos Santas climbed on the Acropolis and tore down the swastika and were sentenced to death in absentia. (They were both arrested on March 24th of the following year).
Manolis Glezos has been convicted 28 times for his political activities three of which to death sentence. Totally, he remained in prison and exile for 16 years.
His death penalties were not carried out due to the national and international public outcry. Nine assassination attempts against him were realized.
He participated in a peace march in London with Leonidas Kirkos and Grigoris Lambrakis.
He has been awarded, among others with the Prize of the International Union of Journalists (1958), the Gold Medal Jolie-Curie of the World Peace Council (1959), the Gold Lenin Prize for Peace (1963), the Grand Cross of the Phoenix for his services to his country (1997), the Gold Medal of the Order Moral and Political Science of the Academy of Athens with Apostolos Santas for his involvement with the resistance (2006).
Also in 1959 he was depicted on a stamp of the former USSR.
The academic community of our country has renounced him an honorable doctor four times. More specifically:
1994: Doctor in the Department of Geology in the University of Patras for his research on Hydrogeology and on the environment.
2001: Doctor of Hydraulic in the field of Water Resources in the University of Thessaloniki for his research on the field.
2003: Doctor in the Department of Mining in the National School of Polytechnics for his research on metals.
2007: Doctor of Philology in the School of Philosophy for his long-lasting work and research in the study of Greek Language and World Symbolism.
He has published eight (8) books and a variety of research work in magazines and newspapers.
Source of publication 14th edition In-On