University of Macedonia
School of Economic and Regional Studies
Department of Balkan Slavic and Oriental Studies
1stInternational Conference on HellenicDiaspora
PerspectivesontheHellenicDiaspora
Συγχρονικές και Διαχρονικές Όψεις της Ελληνικής Διασποράς
A three days International Conference Organized by:
Charles Darwin University, Australia
University of the Aegean, Greece
University of Macedonia, Greece
Day 13 JUNE
Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia / Day 2
28 JUNE
University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece / DAY 3
14 JULY
University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece
Academic Committee
Assistant Professor LouizaChristodoulidou, University of the Aegean
Mrs ParaskeviEvgeniou, Charles Darwin University
MrMariosFesopoulos, Charles Darwin University
Associate Professor George Frazis, Charles Darwin University
Associate Professor EleniGavra, University of Macedonia
Assistant Professor GeorgiosKatsadoros, University of the Aegean
Associate ProfessorVasiliaKourtis-Kazoullis, University of the Aegean
Professor Dimitrios Kyrkilis, University of Macedonia
Professor Brian Mooney, Charles Darwin University
Dr MarianthiOikonomakou, University of the Aegean
Associate Professor George Papantonakis, University of the Aegean
Associate Professor DimitrisStamatopoulos, University of Macedonia
Associate Professor SpyrosSyropoulos, University of the Aegean
Associate Professor Ram Vemouri, Charles Darwin University
Professor EftihiaVoutira, University of Macedonia
Day 3
Friday14 July 2017
Location:
University of Macedonia, Conference Room, 1st Floor
9:00 Welcome Speeches
9:15 Opening Remarks
9.30- 11.15Session 1
Chair: Associate Professor George Frazis
- Greek Thessaloniki: Images, memories, prospects for the future,
SotiriosDimitriadis
- Greek Diaspora in the Lower Danube Region during the "long" 19th Century,
DimitriosKontogeorgis
- The Activity of American Missionaries in Smyrna in the 19th Century,
TheocharisAnagnostopoulos
- The History of the Hellenic Diaspora in the Northern Territory, Australia: The Case of LambrosGougos,
George Frazis
11:15 - 11:45Coffee Break
11:45 - 14:00 Session 2
Chair: Professor EftihiaVoutira
- The Greek - Orthodox Churches in the Diaspora:The Case Study of the USA and Australia,
PavlosSerafeim
- The Hellenic Diaspora in Romania: cultural and ekistics heritage,
EleniGavra
- Land transport network of Asia Minor in the period before the First Word War,
George Tsotsos
- Post-Soviet Greek diaspora and homeland 'return': Dilemmas and Challenges in the 21st century,
EftihiaVoutira.
- Is music as important as language in helping us to connect with and understand one another?
Barbara Vos
14:00 - 14:15Closing Remarks
Session 1
- Greek Thessaloniki: Images, memories, prospects for the future,
SotiriosDimitriadis
Abstract
In 1912, the Greek army entered Thessaloniki, the biggest and wealthiest city of Ottoman Macedonia, following a string of military victories during the course of the Balkan wars. This development caught many observers by surprise; in the second half of the 19th century the city had emerged as a commercial and industrial centre of international importance. Thessaloniki developed into a typical Mediterranean port-city, with a hybrid local culture, an ecclecticist architecture, and a growing and diverse population, with a Jewish community unique in both size and confidence. In the violent and unstable background of the 1910s, the new administration was faced with the urgent question of incorporating Thessaloniki and its hinterland into the rest of Greece.
In this paper, I use 1912 as its point of departure and move both backwards and forwards in time, to highlight both the Greek presence in late Ottoman Thessaloniki and the process of hellenisation that followed the end of imperial rule. I describe how the remnants and memories of the city’s ancient Greek and especially Byzantine past were utilised in the Greek national narrative and in Thessaloniki’s reconstruction following the great fire of 1917. I follow the violent end of the city’s diverse demography following the “population exchange” and the destruction of the Jewish community during the Holocaust. I trace the gradual erasure of the Ottoman architectural heritage from the cityscape, as it fell victim to post-war urban development. And finally I discuss the prospects opening up from the city as a result of the general reappraisal of the city’s recent past, and the rekindling of the old connections that once linked Thessaloniki to the wider Ottoman world.
SotiriosDimitriadisis an historian of the late Ottoman Empire, specializing on issues of urban, social, and economic history. Having received his PhD from the Department of History at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London in 2014, and having taught in the International Hellenic University and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, he is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Balkan, Slavic & Oriental Studies of the University of Macedonia.
- Greek Diaspora in the Lower Danube Region during the "long" 19th Century,
DimitriosKontogeorgis
Abstract
During the “long” 19th century, mainly since the late 1820s and until the First World War, the Danube became one of the most dynamic routes in Southeastern Europe, linking the Balkans with Central Europe and cities such as Budapest and Vienna. The river was instrumental in boosting the expansion of trade, contributed significantly to the technological modernization of the region through the development of river transportation and strengthened cultural and artistic ties between Eastern and Central Europe.
This presentation aims to explore the emergence, growth and decline of the multi-faceted Greek communities in the area, one of the most vibrant parts of Greek diaspora in Europe in general. The main thrust of our attention will be accorded in particular to the main Greek communities/paroikiai in the Romanian cities of Braila (Brăila), Galatz (Galaţi), Tulcea, Sulina and Constanţa and we are going to highlight their role in the integration of the Lower Danube and the Western coasts of the Black Sea in the European economy. The Greek communities were lively centres of commerce, industry and shipping, while many of their members, such as Andreas Embiricos and IanisXenakis, excelled in education, literature, music and science. The Greek ship-owners of Braila and Galatz (Embiricos, Theophilatos and Stathatos families) were the first to make the transition from sail to steam, i.e. from sailing vessels to steamships, laying the groundwork for the transformation of the Greek maritime industry into one of the most important worldwide while a few of them ventured in industrial activity, building a few of the largest factories in Southeastern Europe.
Special attention will be accorded to the Greek community at Sulina, a city in the Danube Delta which was mainly inhabited by Greeks and other “foreigners”, and became in Romanian culture a symbol of multi-ethnicity, cosmopolitanism and tolerance.
KontogeorgisDimitrios completed his BA & MA studies with honors at the National and Capodistrian University of Athens. In 2012 he was awarded his Doctor of Philosophy degree by the same university. His research interests focus on Modern Greek and Balkan political and intellectual history, Diasporas, as well as the economic history of South-Eastern Europe. He has taught an MA course in English on the historical geography of the Black Sea at the International Hellenic University and also history of Eastern, Southeastern and Central Europe at the Ionion University and currently at the University of Ioannina. He has also published various articles in historical journals, contributed to collective volumes and participated in several workshops and conferences.
- The Activity of American Missionaries in Smyrna in the 19th Century,
TheocharisAnagnostopoulos
Abstract
Smyrna already showed from the 18th century significant commercial, cultural and demographic growth, which culminated during the 19th century. The city evolved into one of the most important ports in the eastern Mediterranean, where Greeks, Turks, Europeans and Americans co-operated. The Greek Orthodox element of Smyrna held a hegemonic position among them. Because of its cosmopolitan character, the city was also a pole of attraction for the missionaries of various confessions and nationalities. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) had the most active missionaries in Smyrna during the 19th century. This paper aims to show This paper aims to show the economic, cultural and political position of the Greek- Orthodox element of Smyrna as well as the action of the American missionaries in one of the most important cities of the eastern Mediterranean during the period considered.
TheocharisAnagnostopoulos was born in 1984 in Thessaloniki. He studied Theology in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He continued his studies in the postgraduate program of the above Faculty. He holds aMsc and elaborates a Ph.D specializing in History. He has worked as a translator and curator of historical works from English to Greek. He participated in scientific conferences on the history of the Orthodox population of the eastern Mediterranean. He was a member of the organizing committee of the 3rd International Congress of Pontic Studies in Thessaloniki during 18-20 November 2016. His main scientific interests are in the political and national ideology of Asia Minor Hellenism and in particular the Greek-Orthodox community of Smyrna. He also studies the relations between the Orthodox of Smyrna and the emissaries of the various foreign powers there.
- The History of the Hellenic Diaspora in the Northern Territory, Australia: The Case of LambrosGougos,
GeorgeFrazis
Περίληψη
Στην ανακοίνωση οριοθετείται το πλαίσιο της ελληνικής διασποράς στην Αυστραλία και ειδικότερα στη Βόρεια Αυστραλία και εξετάζεται η οδύσσεια ενός μετανάστη από τη Βυσσινιά της Καστοριάς στην περίοδο του μεσοπολέμου.
Ο Γιώργος Φρατζής είναι Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής στη Σχολή Ανθρωπιστικών Σπουδών του Πανεπιστημίου CharlesDarwin. Έχει διδάξει ελληνική γλώσσα, λογοτεχνία και μαθήματα πολιτισμού στα πανεπιστήμια της Νότιας Αυστραλίας από το 1985-2015 και από το 2015 διδάσκει στο πανεπιστήμιο της Βόρειας Επικράτειας. Έχει ασχοληθεί με τη διδασκαλία της ελληνικής ως δεύτερης και ως ξένης γλώσσας στην Αυστραλία και έχει δημοσιεύσει άρθρα στο χώρο αυτό. Έμφαση στα ερευνητικά του ενδιαφέροντα δίνει τα τελευταία χρόνια στην ιστορική καταγραφή του Ελληνισμού της Βόρειας Επικράτειας και στις σχέσεις του ελληνικού στοιχείου με τους πρώτους Αυστραλούς.
Session 2
- The Greek - Orthodox Churches in the Diaspora: The Case Study of the USA and Australia,
PavlosSerafeim
Abstract
One of the special characteristics of the immigration of Greeks (Hellenes) abroad is the foundation of orthodox churches in their new homelands. These churches aim not only to serve the religious needs of the Greek expatriates but they also serve as the centers around which community life is organized. Churches are the place but also the occasion for the Greeks of the Diaspora to meet each other. For this reason, once immigrants settle in a country, one of their first duties is the establishment of orthodox churches. This study focuses on the phenomenon of the foundation of Orthodox churches in the two most important immigration destinations of the Greek population, the USA and Australia. In particular, reference will be made to their history, from the date of their establishment, the various stages of their organization and development to their present state. At the same time, however, a comparative study will be attempted by exploring the differences and similarities of the two cases.
PavlosSerafeim was born in 1975. He studied Theology in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He continued his studies in the MA of Modern and Contemporary Greek and Global History, School of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy of the same University. He holds a Ph.D Degree of Church History, (Doctoral Thesis title:The election of the Archbishop of America, Athenagoras, to the Ecumenical Throne (1946 – 1948), Faculty of Theology. He has works as a philologist and theologian of the Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs.He participated in scientific conferences, seminars and workshops on the fields of history, church history, the teaching of history, the Greek language, school, classroom management, violence in schools, the teaching of Greek as a second language, etc. He is a member of the Hellenic Association of Historical Sciences and of the Society of Macedonian Studies
- The Hellenic Diaspora in Romania: cultural and ekistics heritage,
EleniGavra
Abstract
The Greek presence in contemporary Romanian provinces(Walachia, Moldavia and Transylvania) starts from the early modern period, shortly after the fall of Constantinople (1453). During the Ottoman domination of the Greek peninsula (XV-XIXth century), hundreds of Greek merchants emigrated from the Greek peninsula and settled in many Romanian villages and cities where they established their own communities. A variety of reasons, like the semi-autonomous regime in the Principalities, various privileges being given by the local authorities and trade opportunities especially in the ‘free ports’ are the causes of the emigration. The ‘gold’ era of the Greek communities was the period 1711-1821, being known as ‘the Phanariot period’, when highly educated Greeks from the area of ‘Phanari’ in the centre of Istanbul were nominated by the Sublime Porte to run the ottoman provinces close to the Danube. In these areas-cities Greeks played an important role in financial –business/ commercial- and social activities. Thus, they financed and erected churches, schools, public institutions, they set up businesses -such as printing offices, industries, workshops, banks, shipping companies - they built housesof remarkable quality, interesting architecture and important contribution in the urban scene.
This paper is an effort to describe the presence of Greek merchants and evaluate their activities concerning, both, the trade markets and the local everyday life. Looking at the vast ekistics heritage it is easy to understand that during XIXth century, when the national movement of the Romanian Unification was under way, the Greek communities faced the dilemma to leave the Romanian areas or to assimilate with the locals.
Eleni G. Gavra ;
Associate Professor, University of Macedonia, Greece
A graduate of School of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1986), she holds a PhD degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from the same school(1997). In the past she has served in the administration of theRegionofCentralMacedonia (1992-2006) as head manageron European urban development programs, in the School of Architecture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1999-2005) as an external associate, in the Department of Balkan Studies, University of Western Macedonia, Florina, Greece (2006-2013) as lecturer and assistant professor. Nowadays she is associate professor in the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Greece, in the field of Ekistics and Cultural Heritagein theBalkan and Black Sea area.
Her scientific interests focus on theinvestigationofekisticsreservesin the Balkan and Black Sea area, urban policies in the Balkans during the transitional period, the framework of and policies applied to ekistics and cultural reserves in Southeast Europe.
Sheisauthorofnumerous scientific publications, articles in Greek and international scientific journals, and papersin scientific international congresses (in Greece and abroad).
She hascoordinated orparticipatedinscientific events in Greeceand abroad and is currently participating – as a memberofresearchgroupsorascoordinator - inresearchprogramswith emphasis on the management of the ekistics’ cultural heritage in Southeast Europe. She is a memberofGreekandinternationalscientificorganizations (institutes) for the protection and enhancement of the cultural architectural heritage.
- Land transport network of Asia Minor in the period before the First Word War,
George Tsotsos
Abstract
From a scientific perspective of the historical human geography, the study of the land transport network of the Ottoman Empire in the period before the First World War presents an interest, since it contributes to the approach and understanding of the spatial phenomenon related to two other interrelated phenomena: the European economic intrusion in the area of the Ottoman Empire and the attempt of the Ottoman state to cope with the demands of the era, including among others the modernization of the transportation network of the Empire.
The land transportation network includes the road and rail networks. In this paper, our objective is to compile a complete picture as possible of the Asia Minor railway and route network. Because the railway network has been studied extensively, while for the road network there is a gap in contemporary special studies, we try to identify the routes of the main road network, i.e. the main road axes of the Asia Minor area and trace them on maps. At the same time, are explored issues such as the historical development of the construction of the railway and road network from the middle of the 19th century until 1914, the state of the railway and road network and transport conditions, the rail network in relation to road, and the impact of the state of the Land transport network on the region's economy.
GeorgiosTsotsos
Inspector - Supervisor of Teachers Civil Engineers, Architects and Surveyor Engineers in Public Secondary Education of Northern Greece. Degree in Surveying Engineering, DEA in History of Science and Technology, MA in Cultural Studies, PhD in Urban and Regional Planning and Development, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies at the University of Macedonia. He has served as a lecturer in the T. E. I. of Thessaloniki, as well as visiting Professor in Graduate and Postgraduate Studies Programmes of AUTh, University of Western Macedonia, University of Macedonia and University of Thrace.
He has published three books and more than 45 articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings and collective volumes related to Historical Human Geography, Regional Planning, History of Geography - Cartography and of Surveying - Geodesy and he has also edited four scientific collective volumes.
- Post-Soviet Greek diaspora and homeland 'return': Dilemmas and Challenges in the 21st century,
EftihiaVoutira.
Abstract
The paper focuses on the emergence of a ‘new’ post-Soviet diaspora: the Greeks of the former Soviet Union (FSU). Significantly, although the Greeks belong to the classical or historical diasporas, their presence in the former Soviet Union has been formally acknowledged by the host state (FSU) and their status as a diaspora group has been recognised by the homeland (Greece) at the end of the Cold War. The focus of the analysis is the processes of politicization of post Soviet Greek identities since 1991 and their progressive mobilisation into different corporate groups (eg cultural associations). Like other former Soviet citizen (eg. Germans, Poles) who have claims to an 'ethnic European historical homeland’, post-Soviet Greeks enter Greece as members of the Greek diaspora with special rights and privileges concerning their membership and belonging to the Greek state. Nevertheless, the acquisition of their citizenship status and their acceptance by the host society citizens remains fraught with both bureaucratic and intercultural problems which, for many, give rise to multiple types of resentment vis-a-vis their historical homeland. For some, this process entails mobilising a culturally bounded 'refugee discourse' that draws from the post-Lausanne Treaty modern Greek experience in order to claim membership into the modern Greek nation. For others, it entails negotiating their Greekness at the face of their antecedent Russophone identity. A third option remains the retreat to an ethnic enclave that seeks to reconstruct life according to the norms and values of the Soviet homeland, in this context the post Soviet Greek diaspora functions like a 'reverse diaspora’ upon arrival in the 'homeland'.