Greece is taking steps to obtain rare photos that show 200 Greek men being executed by a Nazi firing squad in Athens during World War II. The images surfaced on eBay over the weekend, reportedly showing the men on May 1, 1944, at a shooting range in Kaisariani, a suburb of Athens. These executions, carried out on communist political prisoners, were a brutal chapter in Greece's history but no known photos or films existed until now. The Culture Ministry said on Monday, "it is very possible that these are authentic photographs." The ministry plans to acquire these images as historical archives. The photos were listed for auction by a Belgian collector dealing in German military memorabilia. The pictures show the men lined up in front of a wall after being led through a gateway and down a path. The Kaisariani executions remain one of the darkest moments of Nazi occupation in Greece. After World War II, Greece suffered a civil war that lasted until 1949. The scars from these times still linger. Shortly after the photos appeared online, a memorial at the execution site was vandalized, with plaques smashed. Kaisariani municipality responded on Facebook: "Historical memory will not be erased, no matter how much it bothers some people." They vowed to repair the monument and said the photos stirred "a chill of emotion for the heroic, valiant stance of the 200 communist heroes who stood up against the firing squad." The Culture Ministry noted "quite a few legal complications" could affect acquiring the photos. Experts will visit the collector in Ghent, Belgium, to verify the photos' authenticity and legal status. A ministry committee will meet to decide if the photos represent Greek heritage. If confirmed authentic and legally obtained, the ministry said it will quickly finalize their purchase by legal means.