MP and Greek anti-fascist resistance icon Gregoris Lambrakis marching alone in the banned Marathon–Athens Peace Rally on Sunday April 21, 1963, one month before his assassination

Gregoris Lambrakis (Γρηγόρης Λαμπράκης) (April 3, 1912–May 27, 1963) was a Greek politician, physician, and member of the faculty of the School of Medicine at the University of Athens. Image File history File links GregorisLambrakis. ... Image File history File links GregorisLambrakis. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Doctor by Samuel Luke Fildes This article is about the term physician, a type of doctor; for other uses of the word doctor see Doctor (disambiguation). ... The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greek: Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in the region of the eastern Mediterranean and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. ...

Early life

Lambrakis was born in the village of Kerasitsa in the district of Tegea (Arkadia, the Peloponnese). After finishing high school in his home town, he moved to Athens to enter the School of Medicine at the University of Athens. There is also an ancient Tegea near Kissamos in the island of Crete, see Tegea, Crete Tegea was an important religious center of ancient Greek containing the Temple of Athena Alea. ... This article discusses Arcadia, a region of Greece. ... The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus (Greek: Πελοπόννησος Peloponnesos; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a large peninsula in southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα, Athína IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Greece and the birthplace of democracy. ... The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greek: Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in the region of the eastern Mediterranean and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. ...

Lambrakis was a great athlete throughout his life. He held the Greek record for long jump for twenty-three years (1936–1959). He also earned several gold medals in the Balkan Athletic Games, which took place annually, featuring competitors from Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Long jumper at the GE Money Grand Prix in Helsinki, July 2005. ... Balkan peninsula with northwest border Isonzo-Krka-Sava The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of southeastern Europe. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all South Slavic languages, Југославија in Serbian and Macedonian Cyrillic) is a term used for the three separate political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. ...

During the Nazi/Fascist occupation of Greece (1941–1944), Lambrakis participated actively in the national resistance. In 1943 he set up the Union of Greek Athletes ("Ένωση των Ελλήνων Αθλητών") and organised regular competitions. He used the revenue from these games to fund public food-banks for the starving population. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... This article is about the year. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ...

Post-War Activism

After World War II, Lambrakis completed his medical studies and worked as a lecturer in the Department of gynaecology. He continued to help the poor by running a small private clinic for patients who were unable to afford medical care. Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... The shamefulness associated with the examination of female genitalia has long inhibited the science of gynaecology. ...

While not a Communist, Lambrakis's political and ideological orientation did lean towards the left. He was actively involved in the Pacifist Movement of his time, which voiced strong opposition to the Vietnam War. Lambrakis acted politically from within the United Democratic Left (Eniaia Democratiki Aristera — EDA, the only legal left-wing political party in the country after the Greek Civil War 1946–1949) and until the fall of the military dictatorship. He was elected to the Greek Parliament in the 1961 elections as a Piraeus MP. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Pacifist may mean: an advocate of pacifism. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... United Democratic Left, UDL ( Greek: Ενιαία Δημοκρατική Αριστερά, abbreviation: UDL or in Greek: ΕΔΑ) was a political party in Greece before the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. ... Combatants Hellenic Army, Royalist forces, Republicans, British troops Communist guerillas (ELAS, DSE) Commanders Alexander Papagos Markos Vafiadis Strength 100,000 men 20,000 men and women Casualties 12,777 killed 37,732 wounded 4,527 missing 38,000 killed 40,000 captured or surrendered The Greek Civil War (Greek: ) was... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... A military dictatorship is a form of government wherein the political power resides with the military; it is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in orange and red—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... View of Piraeus A night ferry about to leave the port of Piraeus for the Dodecanese Piraeus, or Peiraeus (Modern Greek: Πειραιάς Peiraiás or Pireás, Ancient Greek / Katharevousa: Πειραιεύς Pireéfs) is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, located south of Athens. ...

The same year (1961), under his initiative, the Commission for International Detente and Peace (Eπιτροπή για την Διεθνή Ύφεση και Ειρήνη — Epitropi gia ti Diethni Ifesi kai Irini — EDYE) was established in Greece. In his capacity as Vice President of EDYE, Lambrakis participated in international pacifist meetings and demonstrations, despite frequent threats against his life. On 21 April 1963, the pacifist movement in Greece organised the First Pacifist Rally from Marathon to Athens. The police intervened, banned the rally and arrested many demonstrators (Mikis Theodorakis among them). Lambrakis, protected by his parliamentary immunity, marched alone and arrived at the end of the rally holding the banner with the peace symbol (photo), the one he had previously held up during the Aldermaston rally in the United Kingdom while protesting near the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE). Soon afterward, he too was arrested by the police. April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Marathon (Greek, Modern: Μαραθώνας Marathona or Marathonas, Ancient/ Katharevousa: Μαραθών, Marathon) is a town in Greece, the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, in which the Athenian army defeated the Persians. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα, Athína IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Greece and the birthplace of democracy. ... Mikis Theodorakis Mikis Theodorakis (Greek: Μίκης Θεοδωράκης) (b. ... View of Aldermaston village circa 1959 Aldermaston is a village in the English county of Berkshire, two miles north of Tadley. ... AWE plc logo The Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston (formerly the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston) is situated in the UK, just 7 miles north of Basingstoke and approximately 14 miles south-west of Reading, Berkshire, near a village called Aldermaston, bordering with Tadley. ...

Poster of the legendary film Z by Costa Gavras which presents the events surrounding the assassination of Gregoris Lambrakis. "He is alive!" can be seen in the poster caption under the large Z, written in French, referring to the popular Greek protest slogan "Ζει" meaning "he (Lambrakis) is alive".

Image File history File linksMetadata CostaGavrasZ.jpg Summary Found at: http://wiki. ... Image File history File linksMetadata CostaGavrasZ.jpg Summary Found at: http://wiki. ... The film Z is a 1969 political thriller directed by Costa-Gavras, with screenplay in French by the director, based on the novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos. ... Constantinos Gavras (born February 12, 1933, Loutra-Iraias, Greece), better known as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French filmmaker best known for films with overt political themes. ...

Assassination

On 22 May 1963, after delivering the keynote speech at a pacifist meeting in Thessaloniki, he was run down by a delivery truck driven by two far-right extremists (E. Emmanouilidis and S. Gotzamanis). He suffered brain injuries and died in the hospital five days later, on 27 May. May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Pacifist may mean: an advocate of pacifism. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ...

The next day, in Athens, his funeral became a massive demonstration. More than 500.000 people rallied to protest against the right-wing government and the Royal Court, seen by many to support the activities of the right-wing extremists. The assassination of Lambrakis initiated an enormous popular reaction, and soon after, investigator Christos Sartzetakis and Attorney General P. Delaportas uncovered connections of the police and army to far-right extremists. Both men would lose their jobs during the military dictatorship of 1967 ; Christos Sartzetakis would also find himself imprisoned for a year during the dictatorship. Sartzetakis, who had become a symbol for integrity due to his handling of the investigation, has gone on record stating that accusations directed against the head of the 1961-1963 government for the Lambrakis assassination were not supported in any way by the evidence. Christos Antoniou Sartzetakis (born 6 April 1929 - Thessaloniki) is a Greek jurist and an elder statesman. ...

The events that followed the assassination of Lambrakis lead to rapid political developments. Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis resigned and left for Paris in July 1963. The Marathon Peace Rally became an annual event in Lambrakis's memory. Thousands of Greek youths formed a new political organisation called The Neolaia Lambraki (Νεολαία Λαμπράκη - Lambrakis Youth); the first secretary of Neolaia Lambraki was Mikis Theodorakis, one of Lambrakis's friends and fellow activists. This leftist political organisation played a decisive role in Greece's progressive movement of the 1960s. Konstantinos Karamanlis Konstantinos Karamanlis (Κωνσταντίνος Καραμανλής in Greek; March 8, 1907 – April 23, 1998) was a towering figure of Greek politics. ... Part of the Paris skyline with from left to right: Montparnasse Tower, Eiffel Tower, and in the background, towers of neighboring La Défense. ...

Legacy

The life and death of Gregoris Lambrakis inspired the author Vassilis Vassilikos to write the political novel "Z". The title stands for the first letter of the Greek word "Zei" ("Lives!"), a popular slogan which began to appear on the walls of the buildings of the Greek cities in the 1960s, illustrating the growing protest against the conditions that led to the assassination of Lambrakis. In 1969, the Greek film director Costa-Gavras (Κώστας Γαβράς) made the film Z, which was a great success. Yves Montand starred as Lambrakis, Jean-Louis Trintignant as investigator Sartzetakis and Irene Papas as Lambrakis's widow. Vassilis Vassilikos (Βασίλης Βασιλικός) (born November 18, 1934) is a prolific Greek writer and diplomat. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Constantinos Gavras (born February 12, 1933, Loutra-Iraias, Greece), better known as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French filmmaker best known for films with overt political themes. ... The film Z is a 1969 political thriller directed by Costa-Gavras, with screenplay in French by the director, based on the novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos. ... Yves Montand Yves Montand (October 13, 1921 – November 9, 1991) was a French/Italian actor, born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Alto, Italy. ... Jean-Louis Trintignant (born on December 11, 1930 in Piolenc, Vaucluse, France) is a French actor. ... Irene Papas (Greek Ειρήνη Παππά, born September 3, 1926 in Corinth) is a Greek-born actress who has starred in over seventy films in a career spanning more than fifty years. ...

Lambrakis remains in the hearts of the Greek people as a national symbol of democracy, representing the struggle against political repression, Royal Court scandal, and international dependence. After the fall of the military dictatorship in 1974, numerous places, including a football stadium in Kallithea and streets and squares throughout the country, have been named in honor of Gregoris Lambrakis. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Photo 1: Kallithea on the simulated view of Greater Athens from above. ...

The Athens Classic Marathon is run in memory of Gregoris Lambrakis every November. The Athens Classic Marathon is an annual marathon foot-race held in Athens, Greece. ...

See also

• United Democratic Left
• History of Modern Greece