Conference Review: The Battle of Kilkis, Held under the Auspices of IMMA

The history of the region and the major historical Battle of Kilkis, fought from 19 to 21 June 1913, were highlighted through a historical conference organised by the Municipality of Kilkis on Friday, 19 June 2026, at the Municipality’s Conference Centre. The conference was held under the auspices of the Foundation of the Museum for the Macedonian Struggle and the Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA) and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

As part of the parallel activities, a historical tour for journalists and speakers took place on Thursday, 18 June, visiting landmark sites connected with the events of 1913 and the Macedonian Front of 1915–1918. These included the Kilkis Military Museum of the Balkan Wars, the military cemeteries of Doirani and the Lake Doirani Museum.

The conference proceedings were organised into three thematic sections focusing on the historical and military context of the Battle of Kilkis, the human dimensions of the conflict and its enduring presence in collective memory and public discourse.

The conference was officially opened by the Mayor of Kilkis, Mr Dimitris Kyriakidis. Addresses were also delivered by His Eminence Metropolitan Bartholomew of Poliani and Kilkis and by Kilkis Member of Parliament Mr Stefanos Parastatidis. The conference was moderated by journalist and columnist Mr Pantelis Savvidis of the newspaper Thessaloniki and thitanews.

The Director of IMMA, Ms Athena Pavlidou, welcomed the conference proceedings and emphasised the importance of local history, historical research and collective memory in understanding the past and shaping the identity of local communities. She also reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to cooperation with local government bodies and the academic community, with the aim of researching, documenting and promoting historical and cultural heritage.

IMMA historian and researcher Mr Vangelis Kansizoglou presented a paper entitled “Local History and Postmemory: The Impact of the Battle of Kilkis on the Collective Memory of the Melissochori Community in Thessaloniki”. Through the case of Melissochori, formerly known as Baltza, he demonstrated how the Battle of Kilkis remains alive in the collective memory of the local community. The presentation focused on the mechanisms of public history and memory that preserve and transmit the historical narrative from one generation to the next.

IMMA congratulates the Municipality of Kilkis on the successful organisation of the conference and expresses its satisfaction with the event’s contribution to highlighting a major episode in modern Greek history. The Foundation remains firmly committed to supporting initiatives that promote historical research, public history and collective memory.