Monastery of Preveli and Battle of Crete Memorial

Historical information

Monastery of Preveli

The Monastery has a glorious history due to the active and leading involvement of its fellow monks in all national endeavourers for freedom and education of Cretan people in Greece. Thus, it merits specific recognition and respect throughout the island of Crete.

The events of the heroic battle of Crete in May 1941 are well known, when the Germans forces met fierce opposition from the Allied Armies and the people of the island. The Monastery of Preveli, desiring to be faithful to its traditions and having no other way to give help, arranged on a daily basis supplies for the Allied army and the locals during the battle in Perivolia, on the outskirts of Rethymno. However, the seizure of Maleme airport in Chania and the advance of the German forces throughout Crete resulted in the evacuation of most of the Allied troops and the departure of the remnants of the Greek Army to the Middle East. Nevertheless a large number of English, New Zealand and Australian soldiers remained on the island because they had no means of getting away.

Although the occupying forces ordered very harsh reprisals against the local population if they provided shelter to these remaining Allied troops, the Monastery of Preveli and the neighbouring villages became for many of them a place of safe shelter and a point from which they could escape. The monks and the local people organized themselves into groups to guard the area, to care for and protect the Allied soldiers who were dispersed in hideouts known only to the locals, where it was not possible for the Germans to track them down, even after constant searching. Immediately a
committee was formed from the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages under the chairmanship of Abbot Agathangelos Lagouvardos to deal secretly with the problems and the expenses of safeguarding the soldiers and that committee continued its work right till the end of the occupation of Greece.

More information about the Monastery can be found here.

The book: "The Road to Prevelly"

The August night in 1941 when Mr. Geoff Edwards was evacuated from Crete on the HMS "Thrasher", he vowed that he would never forget the Cretan people and Monks of the Holy Monastery of Preveli for saving his and other Allied troops lives during the "Battle of Crete". In 1978, Mr. Edwards commenced the construction of the St. John The Theologian chapel in Prevelly (his rendering of the Monastery's name) Western Australia, the village he founded, and he gave it to Greek people as a token of gratitude to the Head Monk of the Preveli Monastery, his fellow monks, and many villagers from surrounding districts who did so much for Allied Servicemen in the grim days of 1941. Numerous 6th Australian Division Unit.

In 1984, Mr. Edwards set about establishing a fund to help Cretans in the province of Rethymnon. A large amount of money was raised by donations from United Kingdom and Australian Ex-Service Associations and individuals and grants by the New Zealand and Australian Governments (on behalf of ex-servicemen). Funds were invested and the annual Scholarship named after the 1941 Head Monk of the Preveli Monastery to this day is granted each year in rotation to a university student from the prefectures of Hania, Rethymnon and Iraklion

In 1989, Mr. Edwards published his book " The Road to Prevelly" (second edition in 1992) (ISBN 0-7316-7174-0 I) and part of the proceeds of the sale of the book goes towards the care and maintenance of the Chapel of St. John The Theologian at Preveli, Western Australia and the Preveli Monastery in Crete, Greece. More information about the book can be obtained there.

Battle of Crete Memorial

The Holy Monastery of Preveli, to mark the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, has undertaken the responsibility to erect privately and under its supervision, an international memorial dedicated to peace and remembrance. The Memorial has been erected on the monastery's own land, on a site with a stunning panoramic view, overlooking the Libyan sea.

Location information

The Holy Stavropegiac and Patriarchal Preveli Monastery of Saint John the Theologian (Evangelist), known as the Monastery of Preveli is located at the south of Prefecture of Rethymnon.

The Battle of Crete Memorial is located in the valley nearby the Monastery on the way to it.