135.00€
Rare WWII Greek Occupation Ephemera Trio, Athens 1942–1943
An exceptional and highly collectible group of three original theatre and cinema programs dating from the Axis occupation of Athens during the Second World War.
Together, these pieces provide a fascinating and tangible record of cultural life in Athens during one of the most difficult periods in modern Greek history. Their use of Greek alongside German, and in one example Italian, reflects the multilingual administrative and cultural environment imposed by the occupying authorities.
The group combines music, theatre and cinema, and includes programs connected with the Rex/Kotopouli Theatre and Pallas Theatre, two important Athens entertainment venues.
1. 1943 Kotopouli Theatre / Rex – Music Recital
Wednesday, 22 December 1943, 15:30
A rare four-page program for a music recital featuring the celebrated soprano Arda Mandikian and violinist Nikolaos Dikaios.
The program is housed within a particularly attractive vintage Art Deco promotional presentation cover produced by the Kallitechnikon Grafeion Athinon (Athens Artistic Bureau). The cover bears a classic 1936 lyre emblem and the imprint of G. P. Kourakos.
Program: approximately 21 cm × 11 cm
Presentation cover: approximately 23.5 cm × 11.5 cm
4-page program
Greek and German text
Music/theatre ephemera from occupied Athens
The combination of the concert program and its distinctive period presentation cover makes this an especially attractive piece of wartime Greek cultural ephemera.
2. 1942 Rex Theatre – I Am Guilty (Bűnös vagyok!)
A rare 1942 cinema program advertising the Hungarian drama film I Am Guilty (Bűnös vagyok!), directed by Dezső Ákos Hamza and starring Mária Mezei.
The program has an unusual three-panel trifold format, measuring approximately 13 cm × 9 cm when closed.
Of particular historical interest is its Greek, German and Italian text, providing a striking visual reminder of the Axis occupation and the international political environment of wartime Greece.
3. 1943 Pallas Theatre – UFA’s Immensee
A period cinema program for the German UFA production Immensee, directed by Veit Harlan and starring Kristina Söderbaum and Carl Raddatz.
Released during the wartime period, Immensee represents the German film culture that was being distributed in occupied Europe. This Athens example is printed in Greek and German and is associated with the historic Pallas Theatre.
Approximate dimensions: 16.5 cm × 11.5 cm.
Historical significance
This is more than a group of cinema and theatre advertisements. Together, the three pieces document the everyday cultural infrastructure of occupied Athens: live music, theatrical entertainment and imported European cinema continuing against the backdrop of occupation and wartime restrictions.
The bilingual and trilingual printing is particularly significant to collectors of WWII history, Greek Occupation history, military ephemera, cinema history and European wartime propaganda/cultural material.
Original Greek occupation-period paper ephemera is inherently fragile, and surviving examples connected with specific Athens venues and dated performances are increasingly difficult to find.
Condition
Good (+) overall vintage condition.
The pieces show natural ageing consistent with more than 80 years of history, including gentle toning, minor edge wear and handling marks. The paper remains attractive and presents well. Please study all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.
An unusual and historically compelling trio of original wartime documents from Athens, bringing together Greek cultural life, European cinema and the realities of the Axis occupation. :::
