This article examines political persecution and the issue of political prisoners in Greece from the 1920s to 1974, with particular emphasis on legislation and punitive practices. The first part explores the origins of political persecution during the interwar years; the second, and more extensive, section focuses on measures taken against political opponents during the Greek Civil War; while the third addresses political persecution under the colonels’ dictatorship. Finally, the article highlights the importance of studying the lived experiences of political prisoners and exiles. It argues that, for nearly half a century, political persecution constituted the state’s primary policy toward the Left, thereby blurring the boundary between authoritarianism and democracy.

This article explores the historical evolution of imprisonment as a penal sanction in the Ottoman Empire by tracing the transformation of the Ottoman justice system from a premodern and highly punitive framework into a modernized correctional system under the Tanzimat reforms of the mid-nineteenth century and growing international pressure. Particular emphasis is placed on the Yedi Kule (Heptapyrgion) fortress in Thessaloniki as a case study illustrating the consolidation of the central prison system. In the early 1890s, Thessaloniki’s Yedi Kule was converted from a Byzantine fortress into a central prison, reflecting broader imperial efforts to implement modern correctional standards, including prisoner education, vocational training, and administrative mechanisms such as the annual prison census. Ultimately, the development of Ottoman prisons represented a distinct form of Ottoman modernity that combined traditional Islamic legal principles with Western-inspired methods of surveillance, discipline, and social control.

This article examines the operation of two of Thessaloniki’s most emblematic detention sites during the German Occupation: the Pavlos Melas concentration camp, established by the German authorities as a human “reservoir” supplying execution squads in the context of reprisals, and the criminal prison of Heptapyrgion, where primarily common-law prisoners were held under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, alongside individuals later arrested by the German army. The inhumane conditions of detention in both institutions are documented in primary testimonies and further underscored by the constant fear of death that accompanied prisoners throughout the period of foreign occupation.

During the Greek Civil War, emergency legislation enabled the trial and sentencing to death of civilians on the basis of their political beliefs, constituting a forceful repressive mechanism employed by the state against those considered to be “acting against the nation.” Within this context, the present article examines the executions of hundreds of political prisoners carried out at the Heptapyrgion (Yedi Kule) in Thessaloniki, treating the site as a significant locus of memory.

This article examines the role and function of political song in prisons and places of exile during the dictatorship, highlighting its significance as a medium of resistance and collective expression. Under conditions of repression, isolation, and strict control, political songs functioned as vehicles of memory, identity, and ideological cohesion for prisoners and exiles. Through the revival of older resistance songs, as well as the creation of new ones, political detainees sustained morale and reinforced a sense of collectivity. At the same time, song served as a form of indirect communication and symbolic resistance against the regime, overcoming the constraints of censorship. Its oral transmission and collective performance strengthened both its dissemination and experiential dimension, making it an integral part of everyday life under conditions of confinement. The article also emphasizes the importance of political song as a cultural practice that contributed to the formation of a shared anti-dictatorial consciousness while leaving a lasting imprint on collective memory in the post-dictatorship period.

The Heptapyrgion in Thessaloniki exemplifies a multilayered heritage site that integrates Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern histories. Its material fabric reflects successive political regimes and practices of architectural reuse, symbolizing shifting forms of power and authority. Originally constructed as a Byzantine fortress, it was later transformed into an Ottoman prison—known as Yedi Kule—and remained a site of political repression until the late twentieth century. Nevertheless, dominant archaeological narratives tend to privilege its medieval past while marginalizing its more recent history as a twentieth-century detention site. This tendency is partly linked to institutional management practices that overlook or suppress these aspects, thereby limiting a more comprehensive understanding of the site’s historiography. Oral testimonies from former political prisoners reveal how certain architectural remains acquired layered symbolic meanings, functioning as warnings or expressions of authority, while personal narratives offer insights into embodied experiences of confinement, sensory perception, and spatial transformation. These testimonies underscore the importance of integrating oral history methodologies in order to deepen our understanding of the site’s recent sociopolitical significance. The article also addresses the epistemological and methodological challenges involved in managing a monument that embodies multiple chronological layers. Established in 2018, the Heptapyrgion Oral History Group represents an inclusive and participatory initiative that challenges monolithic official narratives and amplifies marginalized voices. Ultimately, acknowledging the multiple temporalities of the Heptapyrgion promotes a more holistic and socially conscious heritage discourse, one that transcends traditional archaeological narratives and highlights the monument’s continuing social and political relevance.

The Yedi Kule prison was built within the Byzantine fortress of Εptapyrgion. The core of the complex consisted of ten towers with their curtain walls, which defined the fortress at the highest point of the city. When, in the late 1880s, the Ottoman administration decided to convert the site into a prison, the Εptapyrgion began to change shape with the addition of many new structures, some of which were added during the 20th century, as the Yedi Kule continued to operate as a prison even after the Liberation of Thessaloniki in 1912, until 1989, when it was transferred from the authority of the Ministry of Justice to that of the Ministry of Culture. The new buildings were arranged around the perimeter of the fortress’s inner space. To the southwest were the dormitories for male prisoners, and to the northeast the auxiliary spaces. The two ends of the southern complex of newer buildings, which was developed outside the fortress, are occupied by the women’s prison to the east and the military prison to the west. In between them are many small spaces serving various purposes.

The Heptapyrgion, also known as Yedi Kule during the Ottoman period, is one of Thessaloniki’s most significant surviving fortresses and a monument of profound historical importance. Originally constructed as a Byzantine defensive stronghold and later used as a notorious prison until 1989, it embodies a complex legacy associated with political persecution, war, and collective memory. Following extensive restoration works, the site was transformed into the headquarters of the Archaeological Service of Thessaloniki, as well as a museum and venue for cultural events. Today, the Heptapyrgion functions as a living cultural landmark that combines historical preservation with contemporary artistic and educational activities, reconnecting the monument with society and the everyday life of the city.