THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY and THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, ANXIOUS to lay to rest the German war dead in Greece in cemeteries to be permanently developed for this purpose,
DESIRING to ensure the preservation and maintenance of the German military cemeteries in Greece,
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
For the purposes of this Agreement, German war dead shall mean members of the German armed forces or persons equated with them, as well as persons of German nationality who died in Greece as a result of the war events during the Second World War.
Article 2
The German war dead buried in Greece will be interred at two special war cemeteries in locations yet to be agreed, which are the property of the Greek government. One of these locations will be acquired by the Greek government at its expense through compulsory expropriation or otherwise, and the other will be acquired by it through purchase at the expense of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany. The selection of the required plots of land shall be made by agreement between the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Royal Greek Government. The exhumation and transfer of the German war dead shall be carried out by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany at its expense. The Royal Greek Government shall facilitate this work as far as possible and in particular assist with the transport of the dead.
Article 3
The Royal Greek Government shall grant the Federal Republic of Germany the free use of the land required for German war gravesites for the entire period during which this land is used for this purpose. It guarantees the protection of the war gravesites and the permanent right of rest for the German war dead buried there.
Article 4
The German war gravesites shall be laid out at the expense of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on the basis of plans approved by the Royal Greek Government.
Article 5
The closure of war gravesites that have been permanently developed at the expense of the Federal Republic of Germany will only take place if it is absolutely necessary in the public interest. In this case, the selection of the new site, the reburial of the dead and the design of the new war gravesites will be carried out in agreement with the government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Article 6
The Royal Greek Government shall make available the records in its possession concerning German war dead and war graves and shall support the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany in recording German war graves and identifying the dead.
Article 7
The Royal Greek Government consents to the “Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V.” (German War Graves Commission) undertaking on behalf of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany the technical execution of the tasks arising from this Agreement. The Royal Greek Government will grant every facility to this organization.
The “Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V.” may send specialists to Greece to carry out its tasks and set up the necessary work premises.
Article 8
The motor vehicles, machines and tools necessary for the construction of the German war gravesites in Greece may be imported duty-free upon submission of a personal guarantee. This declaration is intended to ensure payment of the corresponding customs duties and taxes in the event that the imported items are not re-exported within six months of the completion of the work.
The materials and articles necessary for the construction of war gravesites and the reburial of the dead, as well as the materials, tools, trees, plants, seeds, bulbs and other articles necessary for the decoration, maintenance and other needs of the war gravesites, shall be exempt from customs duties and other fees upon import. This exemption does not extend to motor fuel, lubricating oils and private motor vehicles. The plant protection provisions in force shall apply. The exemptions and facilities provided for in this Article shall be granted at the request of the “Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V.”.
Article 9
The Royal Greek Government shall ensure the continued existence and preservation of German war graves in Greece until the reburial work has been completed.
The Greek Government recognizes the right of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany to provide for the maintenance, care and guarding of the German war gravesites in Greece at its own expense and to employ the necessary personnel for this purpose; of this personnel, one German citizen may be employed for each of the two war gravesites provided for in this Agreement, subject to the consent of the competent Greek authorities.
Article 10
The exhumation and transfer of German war dead from Greece to Germany shall be subject to the prior consent of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Royal Greek Government shall permit such transfers only upon presentation of the aforementioned consent. All costs of exhumation and transfer shall be borne by the applicants. The Royal Greek Government will submit to the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany any applications for the transfer of war dead from German war cemeteries to other countries before approval, in order to have the exact grave location and the identity of the dead to be exhumed determined.
Article 11
The technical details for the implementation of this agreement shall be settled directly between the German organization named in Article 7 and the competent Greek authorities.
Article 12
This agreement shall also apply to the State of Berlin unless the government of the Federal Republic of Germany makes a statement to the contrary to the government of the Kingdom of Greece within three months of the entry into force of this agreement.
Article 13
This agreement shall be ratified. The exchange of the instruments of ratification shall take place in Bonn.
This agreement shall enter into force on the day of the exchange of the instruments of ratification.
DONE at Athens on September 26, 1963 in two originals, each in the German and Greek languages, whereby each wording is equally binding.
For the FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY Forster
For the HELLENIC REPUBLIC Pipinelis