gemsofgreece:German soldiers accidentally unearth an ancient statue in Thessaloniki city during the

gemsofgreece:German soldiers accidentally unearth an ancient statue in Thessaloniki city during the Nazi Occupation of Greece, March 1944. The Nazis initially gave the statue to the Greeks during a celebration with the Greek puppet government, intending to differentiate from the British and French who were known for smuggling ancient artifacts despite their good relations with the Greeks. However, one week later the statue was taken and transferred first to Adolf Hitler’s mansion and then Joseph Goebbels’s residence. After the end of World War II, the statue was found by special forces of the American Army inside an abandoned salt mine in the Austrian Alps. Thanks to the efforts of the curator of Ancient Artifacts of Thessaloniki, Stylianos Pelekanidis, the statue returned to Thessaloniki in 1947. You can now see it in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. The statue stands at 2,11 meters (6 ft 11) and represents an important figure for the society of Thessaloniki - possibly Vevia Alexandra, an arch priestess of the 3rd Century AD. The long chiton, her hairdo, the stature and her expression indicate a person born in an aristocratic family.Source: mixanitouxronou -- source link

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