Exhibition opening: The Cartographic Histories of Macedonia at the beginning of the 20th century

The exhibition “The Cartographic Histories of Macedonia at the beginning of the 20th century”, which documents the changes of borders in the Balkans after wars and treaties, was inaugurated at the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle.

The opening of the exhibition, which will remain open to the public until 28 February 2020, was held by the Deputy Minister of Interior (Macedonia-Thrace), Mr. Theodoros Karaoglou.

The exhibition is curated by Mr. Paraskevas Savvaidis, Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering of the AUTH, member of the Board of Directors of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and collector. The maps in the exhibition come from the collection of Messrs. Paraskevas Savvaidis and Savvas Demertzis.

In his address, Mr. Karoglou pointed out that this particular “exhibition is a deposit of heritage and wealth. A national capital that deserves to be highlighted to the general public throughout Macedonia and Thrace.”

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Macedonian Struggle Museum Foundation, Mr. Nikolaos Margaropoulos, thanked the Deputy Minister of Interior (Macedonia-Thrace), Mr. Theodoros Karaoglou for his support to the work of the Museum and underlined the scientific and educational role of the Foundation.

The Director of the Museum, Mrs. Fani Tsatsaia, noted that the exhibition is a panorama of history, as the maps describe in their own unique way the main episodes of the history of Macedonia at the beginning of the 20th century: the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the Macedonian Struggle, the Balkan Wars, the Liberation of Thessaloniki, as well as the international treaties that defined the shape and future of Greece.

Finally, the curator of the exhibition, Mr Paraskevas Savvaidis, said that the maps of the exhibition depict periods of national pride, but also periods of disaster and suffering. The First World War, the great fire of Thessaloniki, as well as the rehabilitation of the refugees are depicted in detail in the maps of the exhibition, which are Greek, British, French, German, Serbian, Bulgarian, Bulgarian, as well as Ottoman, and have been produced by military cartographic services or private publishing houses in various European countries.

The exhibition was sponsored by the Philoptochos Brotherhood of Men, the company Olympia Electronics, the construction company Kouvoukliotis and the Association of Friends of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle.