On 28 October, Greece’s Ohi Day national holiday, “Remarkable Personalities” on Voice of Greece, ERT’s international radio service, takes listeners back to Thessaloniki under German occupation. The program explores a lesser-known chapter of modern Greek history: the story of children who fought for survival, dignity, and freedom in the harshest of circumstances.
Stavroula Karali welcomes author and educator Alexandra Mitsiali to discuss her historical novel “Barefoot Heroes,” published by Patakis Publishers and winner of Greece’s State Prize for Young Adult Literature.
The conversation centers on the legendary “Barefoot Battalion”: children from Thessaloniki’s Papafeio Orphanage who were left on the streets when German occupation forces requisitioned the institution. With no family, shelter, or food, they formed groups, sought refuge in the Upper Town, and struggled daily against hunger and fear. Risking their lives, they took food from German trucks and warehouses. They also took part in acts of resistance, proving that even the most vulnerable could stand up to the occupying forces.
Drawing on historical research and fiction, Alexandra Mitsiali brings everyday life in occupied Thessaloniki into focus: hunger, soup kitchens, persecution, the activities of black marketeers and collaborators, and the resistance of ordinary people who defended human dignity through acts both small and large.
A central part of the discussion addresses the tragedy of Thessaloniki’s Jewish community. From the public humiliations in Eleftherias Square and deportations to Nazi extermination camps to the looting of Jewish property, the program examines one of the darkest chapters of the occupation through the personal stories of those who lived through it.
The conversation also follows the novel’s characters: Takis, Thanasis, Stavroula, Alegra, Pepo, and old Lolos, as well as those who, even within the ranks of the German army, refused to serve Nazi brutality.
Although the novel takes readers into one of the harshest periods of Greek history, it does not allow violence and death to dominate its narrative. Instead, it brings out the strength of solidarity, companionship, resistance, humanity, and hope.
Produced and presented by Stavroula Karali
Sound editing: Stefania Tsakiri
Broadcast: Wednesday 28 October 2026, 22:00 Athens time
