Greek citizen Angelica Kontogeorgiou was called to the Greek Embassy in Berlin to hand her grandfather Vassilios Kontogeorgiou’s watch over to her. The watch was stolen 80 years ago in a concentration camp, Bild writes.
Vassilios Kontogeorgiou ended up in the Neuengamme concentration camp in May 1944. He was taken there after being arrested as a resistance fighter in the city of Volos, Greece.
Kontogeorgiou was subjected to forced labor in the Salzgitter-Watenstedt concentration camp, where he developed pneumonia, and his weight dropped to 38 kilograms before his release. Kontogeorgiou survived the Nazi terror act and returned to Greece, where he started a family. He passed away in 1997.
“He never felt hatred, despite the terrible experiences he had with the Germans in his youth. My grandfather taught me a lot; he was a cheerful person,” Angelica Kontogeorgiou said.
The round pocket watch taken from the prisoner was kept at the International Tracing Service (ITS) in Bad Arolsen, Germany, in a brown envelope with prisoner number 32820 attached.
“Our family knew nothing about this watch. It is very exciting for me to hold my grandfather’s personal belongings after so many years,” Kontogeorgiou’s granddaughter said.
