The National Archaeological Museum, which currently celebrates 150 years from its foundation, participates in the cultural activities that pay homage to the liberation of Athens from the Nazi occupation, 72 years ago.

The Exhibition “From the burial of antiquities to the resurging of memory” contains photos from the rich Photographic Archive of the Museum. The photos present views of the project of hiding and salvaging the antiquities of its Collections at the period before the Nazi occupation of Athens, during the Second World War.

In the last months of 1940 to April 1941, sculptures, bronzes, clay objects and other ancient works of the Museum were packed and placed in boxes or buried in pits excavated in the Museum exhibition rooms, for safe storage away from war dangers. Aspects of this project that led to the preservation of works of cultural heritage were imprinted on unique photographs, some of which are for the first time presented here.