Page 52 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 11(2) (2023)

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Figure 2: Memorial to the victims of intercommunity Figure 3: Memorial to the victims of intercommunity
violence of the 1940s, in Igoumenitsa, Greece. violence of the 1940s, in Kestrini, Greece. di
(photo: Pierre Sintès, 2011) (photo: Pierre Sintès, 2010)

tian, as the headstones often bear a cross, or else structures that commemorate the death of a per-
Albano-chams (Αλβανοτσάμιδες) or Albanians son in a road accident in the region today. But by
(Αλβανοί). This terminology clearly identifies their very presence and the details they provide
the murderers as the Muslim Chams who inhab- about the murder, these monuments also seem
ited the region until 1945. intended to carry a message beyond the victim’s here
Compared with the more official monu- family circle. Indeed, while the space is thus in-
ments commemorating the victims of the vari- vested with a private sentiment, it also becomes
ous conflicts, erected in public squares or cem- the public medium for remembering what may
eteries in Greece, these small steles mentioning appear to be a sacrifice that grieves the whole
the specific violence perpetrated by Muslims in community, which may feel that it has been tar-
the region tell the local story in their own way. geted because of its religion or nationality. These
They bear witness to the painful memories of steles can therefore also be presented as the ma-
the families affected by the murders. Certain terial component of the oral testimonies men-
elements make them appear to be private mon- tioned above which, by explicitly identifying the
uments: they bear signs of closeness to the de- murderers, also convey a political and national
ceased, such as the names of the orphans left be- message, in the broadest sense of the term, about
hind or the nickname used during their lifetime. these past events.
Sometimes, the names of those who commis- By their very presence, these small com- studiauniversitatis
sioned the stele appear on its base, confirming memorative monuments also fulfil the expected
the family origin of the initiative. These features role of marking the national territory. They es-
bring them closer to the private chapels or small tablish places of remembrance and help to make