The Germans entered Thessaloniki in 1941 and began a propaganda campaign against the Jewish population.. On July 11, 1942 the Germans ordered Jewish male between 18 and 45 years old to gather in Eleftherias square for registration. Between 7.000 and 9.000 men arrived in the square at 8:00 a.m. where they were ordered to remain standing under the hot sun. For three and more hours, they were humiliated and forced to do gymnastic exercises. The men who arrived late or tried to sit down were severely beaten, while German officers and their Greek associates assembled in the balconies of the buildings around the square, enjoying the scene. The Black Sabbath, as it came to be known, was the first major act of antisemitism by the Germans since their occupation of the city began.