The Primary School

The Primary School was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century. The building was funded by the Greek benefactor Andreas Syggros. It is a typical four-class school with a neoclassic morphological features and a specific typology.

Since the first years of operation, the school was fully equipped with teaching materials for historical, practical, technical and language subjects.

On December 13 1943 the first act of the Holocaust of Kalávryta took place in this building. The German Occupation Forces gathered the families in front of the school, which was guarded by armed soldiers. In the corridor ofthe building, the German soldiers separated the family members from each other. Men and boys were led to the Place of Execution, while the women and children were held hostage inside the building.

While soldiers set fire to the city, women and children were held hostage inside the school. Quickly, the fear that the school would also catch on fire spread among the women. By trying to break windows and to push open the doors, the mothers tried to get out and save their children. Eventually, the women and children escaped from the building.

The building suffered the same fate as the other buildings in the city. The German army destroyed it on December 13th, 1943. It was rebuilt in 1950 and operated as a school until the early 90's. Since 2005, the building houses the Municipal Museum of Kalavritan Holocaust.