IMMA Photographic and Archival Exhibition in Pristina
Thessaloniki in the Late 19th – Early 20th Century
Social and Cultural Life

The Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Modern History of Macedonia, in collaboration with the Liaison Office of Greece in Pristina, present the temporary exhibition entitled “Thessaloniki in the Late 19th – Early 20th Century: Social and Cultural Life.”

The exhibition will be hosted at the Gallery of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Prishtina from February 25 to March 3, 2026.

Thessaloniki has always been a city in constant dialogue with time. A city defined not only by major historical events, but also by the everyday paths of its people—by the pulse of its port, its schools, theaters, and newspapers; by moments of hardship and periods of creative renewal.

The exhibition “Thessaloniki in the Late 19th – Early 20th Century: Social and Cultural Life” sheds light on the city’s complex and multi-layered identity during the transitional period from the late 19th to the early 20th century. This was an era of modernization and upheaval, of social ferment and political developments that shaped the character of modern Thessaloniki.

Through newspapers of the period, rare photographic material, and archival documents, the “microhistory” of the city emerges: economic activity, the social coexistence of diverse communities, cultural expression, educational development, and the circulation of new ideas within a quintessentially cosmopolitan metropolis of the Eastern Mediterranean.

The exhibition seeks to reconstruct the atmosphere of an era that, despite adversities and reversals, continued to envision and move forward.

For the Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA), the exhibition represents a meaningful expression of its mission: the preservation, study, and promotion of historical memory through contemporary museological approaches. The co-organization with the Liaison Office of Greece in Pristina strengthens intercultural dialogue and highlights the importance of cultural diplomacy and historical documentation.

The scientific curation of the exhibition is undertaken by Professor Stavroula Mavrogeni of the University of Macedonia, Director of the Center for Research on Macedonian History and Documentation (KEMIT) of IMMA. Coordination is led by Ambassador Eleni Vakali, Head of the Liaison Office of Greece in Pristina, and Athena Pavlidou, Philologist–Museologist and Director of IMMA.

The exhibition is based on materials from the KEMIT–IMMA Archive, as well as important private collections, including the Alexandros and Lena Haitoglou Collection, the Georgios Konstantinidis Collection, and the Vasilis Gounaris Collection, forming a valuable mosaic of memory.

It is accompanied by a detailed catalogue, which functions both as documentation and as an independent study on Thessaloniki of the period.

The exhibition invites visitors to explore a city in transformation—tested and reborn—a city that persists in living, creating, and narrating its history through the traces left by its people.

EXHIBITION CREDITS

Co-Organization

Liaison Office of Greece in Pristina
Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA)

General Coordination

Eleni Vakali, Ambassador, Head of the Liaison Office of Greece in Pristina
Athena Pavlidou, Philologist–Museologist, PhD Candidate in Museology, Director of IMMA

Curator

Stavroula Mavrogeni, Professor, Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia; Director, Center for Research on Macedonian History and Documentation (IMMA)

Archival Material

KEMIT–IMMA Archive
Alexandros and Lena Haitoglou Collection
Georgios Konstantinidis Collection
Vasilis Gounaris Collection

Catalogue Publication

Ioanna Dandelia – dandelion stories

Exhibition and Catalogue Texts

Stavroula Mavrogeni

Graphic Design

Emma Zervopoulou

Archival Research

Vangelis Kansizoglou, Historian, IMMA

Administrative Support

Kalypso Tryfonaki, Administrative Secretary, IMMA