February-march 2017
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THIS EVENT HAS FINISHED
Overview
At first glance Thessaloniki, the second largest metropolis in Greece and capital of the region of Macedonia, might appear to have had an uninterrupted history of Greekness. But, looks can be deceiving. In the early twentieth century the city still formed an integral part of the Ottoman Empire. Around 1900, it housed a prodominantly Jewish and muslim population whose presence went back to the fifteenth century. These groups co-existed with the ever-present Greek inhabitants, who had dwelled in Thessaloniki ever since ancient and Byzantine times.
In just a few decades, however, all of this would disappear almost completely. The Balkan Wars (1912-3), the Great Fire (1917), the forced population exchange following the Greco-Turkish War (1919-23) and - finally - the deportation of nearly the entire Jewish community by the Nazi's (1943) led to a radical transformation of the city and its cosmopolitan character.
In just a few decades, however, all of this would disappear almost completely. The Balkan Wars (1912-3), the Great Fire (1917), the forced population exchange following the Greco-Turkish War (1919-23) and - finally - the deportation of nearly the entire Jewish community by the Nazi's (1943) led to a radical transformation of the city and its cosmopolitan character.
This lecture series tells the extraordinary tale of Thessaloniki's 2300 years of rich but often tragic history. It features Macedonian kings, Roman and Byzantine emperors, Ottoman domination, the Greek struggle for Independence and the fluctuating relations between modern Greece, the Balkan states and Turkey. Its strategic location as the major seaport in the Balkans and the gateway between East and West assured Thessaloniki of a continuous prominent role in trade, culture and geopolitics - and therefore in European history. The lectures will also touch upon the ways in which Thessaloniki and its citizens have dealt (and deal nowadays) with their rich past and cultural heritage, and how this is reflected in the urban landscape today.
Lecture schedule
February 15th
February 22nd
March 1st
March 8th
March 15th
- The Kingdom of Macedon and ancient Thessaloniki (400 BC - 390 AD)
February 22nd
- Byzantine heydays and the 'Tourkokratia': Thessaloniki under the Ottoman Empire (1430-1912)
March 1st
- A city transformed: from Salonica to Thessaloniki (the turbulent years 1912-1923)
March 8th
- The Jewish history of Thessaloniki (1492-1943)
March 15th
- The 'Macedonian Question' and dealing with the multi-etnic past in modern-day Thessaloniki
Lecturer and organisationThe lectures are given by dr. Patrick Gouw (historian, Leiden University) and are offered as a course by HOVO Leiden (Life Long Learning organisation, affiliated with Leiden University).,
Lectures are in Dutch and have already filled up to its full capacity. Enrollment is no longer possible. |
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