As Europe celebrated the long-awaited end of World War II on May 8, 1945, the Greek island of Symi witnessed the German surrender in the Dodecanese.
That day, in a solemn ceremony, General Otto Wagener, commander of the German forces in the Dodecanese, signed the official surrender of all German troops stationed in the southeastern Mediterranean.
The act took place not in a grand hall, but in the humble setting of a former monastery turned Allied headquarters, where Wagener handed over control of the occupied islands to Brigadier F. Moffat of the British Army. This surrender marked the final withdrawal of German forces from Greek territory, nearly seven months after the liberation of mainland Greece.
The Dodecanese—strategically vital and historically contested—had endured a complex wartime fate. Previously under Italian rule since 1912, the islands fell to German occupation in 1943 following Italy’s armistice with the Allies. A bitter and costly struggle ensued, especially on islands like Leros and Kos, where Allied forces attempted but failed to hold ground against the German counter-offensive.
By 1945, the remaining German garrisons in the region were isolated and surrounded by Allied naval power. With Germany’s unconditional surrender in Europe, the time had come for the final handover. The only exception was Kastellorizo, which had already been liberated earlier by British and Free French forces.
The surrender on Symi carried deep symbolic weight. It represented not just the end of Axis occupation in Greece, but the beginning of a new chapter for the Dodecanese. After decades of foreign rule—Ottoman, Italian, and briefly German—the islands were finally on the path to unification with the modern Greek state, which would be formalized in 1947.
The Governor of the South Aegean, Giorgos Hadjimarkos, joined Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, and Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, Dimitris Houpis, to mark the historic anniversary of May 8, 1945.
The commemoration was held with solemnity and dignity, honoring a moment when history shifted—not only for the Dodecanese but for Europe as a whole.
On social media, Governor Hadjimarkos reflected:
“We are today in Symi, to send a clear message: At the southeastern tip of Greece and Europe, History, Defense and Democracy are present and alive.”
He went on to underscore the strategic and symbolic importance of Symi:
“Symi is not only a beautiful island. It is a strategic point and a symbolic place for Freedom and geopolitical stability. Here, the epilogue of World War II in the Aegean was written, with the surrender of the Dodecanese to the Allies.”
The surrender of the German forces on May 8, 1945, marked the final chapter of occupation in Greek territory and planted the seeds of a new European vision—one of peace, cooperation, and unity. Governor Hadjimarkos emphasized that memory must serve as a compass in the present:
“At a time when war returns to the European continent, and extremism and populism threaten to erode our common future, memory becomes a responsibility.”
From this symbolic edge of Europe, a strong message was delivered: history must not be forgotten, and freedom must never be taken for granted.
Related: The Day The Dodecanese Joined Greece
