In my search for more pictures about Athos I found these below. Most of them are taken by German “Wehrmacht”-soldiers, who had an outpost just above the Rumenian Skete Prodromou.

The German observation post on the slopes of the Athos mountain, not far from skiti Prodromou

A picture of skiti Prodromou shot by a German Wehrmacht soldier, probably from the observation post

Another picture from a Wehrmacht soldier: an Athos church with a monk

The third picture from the Wehrmacht-soldier: the interior of a church with a monk in front of a iconostasis

The fourth Wehrmacht picture: Monk with German soldiers in summer clothes, drinking and toasting

A German soldier in 1943, showing a Greek magazine to a monk

Athos monks in 1940, photo by Brown

Finally I want to show you some copies of the guestbook from Sografou with notes made during the Second World War made by German and Bulgarian soldiers. The copy was presented by a monk to my Athos friend Jan Paul ten Bruggencate, who visited this monastery a long time ago. “You should have this information and bring it with you”, said the Sografou monk, but what his real intentions were stays unclear, because the information is – as far as I can read –  not very shocking. Most texts are in German, with remarks about the special Athos hospitality and in one case ending with a “Heil Hitler”. The names of the soldiers are difficult to read: I did not found any names that I mentioned in previous posts (see our category War).

2 June 1941: a German text from at least six soldiers (Luitenants): Dr Crämer, Dr Hans Gerster, Wilhelm Trey: ending with “this visit is one of the finest memories of our life…”

18 March 1943: Bulgarian text: thanks to Jan Paul ten Bruggencate the text is translated!:

03/15/1943
 
For the great and revered father Vladimir , for the father Pamaret and for the entire spiritual brotherhood of the famous Bulgarian Monastery – Holy Georgi the Victorious – ( Zograph ) , I express my great gratitude for the hospitality and the warm welcome that has been bestowed upon us during our stay on the 13th, 14th , and 15th March 1943.
May the Supreme Creator and the Most Holy Mertyrer Georgi give them health, happiness and long life , so they can work committed to the preservation of the Bulgarian treasures and lore . 15.III.1943
                                                                        signature

5 April 1943: a German text: “hoping that there will be peace soon for our nations….” Heil dem Führer Adolf Hitler! and Heil dem König Boris! (by Theo Piepe and 4/5 others)

28 March 1943 and 7 April 1943: a German text from 4 persons: the SS-Hauptsturmführer (name illegible) and Georg Mayr – SS Obersturmführer – and others

The last text is from  2 February (?) 1944 and is in Bulgarian, translated with the help of my Athos-friend Jan Paul.

02/06/1944

I thank God that I was possible to realize a big wish of mine . That it was possible for me to be able to visit one of the most sacred places of the Bulgarian people, and that while the main Moment.für the Association of the Bulgarian tribe.
For me there is nothing more valuable than to spend these special moments when the gracious God has poured out his blessings on generous way , here where there is great healings were kept for the Bulgarian people .
 
                                                                                   Zahari Petrov Barsakov
 
                                                                                   (Title unreadable ) in the Borisovski
                                                                                     University , Sofia .
                                                                                     2.VI.1944

For a German “Wochenschau” about Athos in the Second World War look here:

Wim, 14/1/14