Holy Mount Athos in 1940 and The World War 2
After Greece’s Occupation …during the Second World War, the Epistassia, the four-member executive committee appointed annually by the Holy Community, asked Hitler to place Mount Athos under his personal protection, and he agreed.
Curiously some monks on Holy Mount Athos even used to draw portraits of Hitler. Interestingly Hitler did not destroyed or tortured the monks but the Germans just send few Germans to make a kinda of research on what is on the Mount. The monks were asked to show ancient manuscripts etc. The topic is mostly interestingly here are some interesting videos.
http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2009/12/mount-athos-in-1941.html