On Sunday, March 2, 2025, the city of Thessaloniki unveiled a monument: the Tree of Memory, in tribute to the 57 victims of the tragic train crash that occurred in Tempi two years earlier — the deadliest in Greece’s railway history.
This monument, erected in the Garden of the Evening Sun in Nea Paralia, is the work of artist Maria Mandaki and constructed by the team of the blacksmith Yannis Santexis. It is part of a twin project with the Tree of Souls, which was unveiled the previous day in Athens, on Saturday, March 1, 2025. While in Athens the golden birds bearing the names of the victims rest on the branches of the tree, in Thessaloniki, those same birds are placed on the roots, symbolizing the deep anchoring of remembrance in the collective memory.
The trunk, rising from a rock, expresses strength, permanence, and mourning. The installation serves not only as a place of reflection, but also as a symbol of solidarity and a call for justice, as many voices in Greece continue to seek answers and accountability.
The Tree of Memory stands as a reminder that the victims will never be forgotten. It unites the country’s two major cities in a shared act of remembrance and pursuit of truth.
