Political Prisoners in 20th Century Greece
presented by Professor Polymeris Voglis
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Event Details
A few months ago, during the renovation of the area near the Eptapyrgio prison in Thessaloniki, mass graves with 34 skeletons were accidentally discovered, belonging to male (and one female) political prisoners who had been executed during the Greek civil war. Predictably, the discovery of the mass graves sparked great interest and debate about the Civil War and political prisoners. Political prisoners is a phenomenon that is not limited to the years 1946-1949 but runs through modern Greek history from the 1920s to 1974.
For half a century, political persecution has been the main policy of governments against their opponents. The long duration of the phenomenon and the huge number of political prisoners (especially during the years of the Greek civil war) show that the distinction between authoritarianism and democracy is much more problematic and debatable for a very long period of modern Greek history.
For about half a century the line between authoritarianism and democracy was much more blurred: democratically elected governments had no problem resorting to persecution, deportation, imprisonment, violence against political opponents, belonging to the Left. Moreover, political persecution is distinguished not only by its long duration but also by its continuity.
The legislation that allowed the persecution was formed very early on and implemented for several decades. This talk seeks to shed light on this well-known but understudied ‘dark’ side of Greek history.
About Professor Polymeris Voglis
Polymeris Voglis is Professor of Social History at the University of Thessaly. He studied history at the University of Athens (BA, MA) and the European University Institute (PhD). He has published in English the book Becoming a Subject: Political Prisoners during the Greek Civil War (2002), and, in Greek, the books Greek Society under Occupation, 1941-1944 (2010), The Unfeasible Revolution: Social Dynamics of the Greek Civil War (2014) and Dynamic Resistance: Subjectivity, Political Violence and the Struggle against the Dictatorship, 1967-1974 (2022). He is president of the Greek Association of Historians and member of board of the Contemporary Social History Archives.
How to Participate
This is an online-only event, so please join us on YouTube, or Facebook
You don't need an account with either of these services to just watch the event, but you do need one if you want to participate in the Live Q&A.
At the end of the lecturer's presentation, we ask our viewers to submit their written questions through the comment or chat function of Facebook or YouTube (you'll need to have an account with that service to be allowed to comment).
We then select and submit a number of your questions to our guest.
We look forward to your insightful participation.
Sponsors
During the course of the year considerable expenses are incurred in staging the seminars. In order to mitigate these costs individuals or organisations are invited to donate against a lecture of their choice.
You too can donate for one or more seminars and (optionally) let your name or brand be known as a patron of culture to our members, visitors and followers, as well as the broader artistic and cultural community of Melbourne. Please email: info@greekcommunity.com.au or call 03 9662 2722.
We thank the following corporate sponsors:
Delphi Accounting, Symposiarch Wines and the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria
About Greek History and Culture Seminars 2025
This event is part of the series Greek History and Culture Seminars 2025.
The Greek Community of Melbourne hosts a wide range of events, from intimate gatherings to large functions, and celebrates cultural diversity with vibrant festivals, performances, and exhibitions.
Greek History and Culture Seminars 2025 will run between: Thursday, 06 March 2025 and Thursday, 25 September 2025
See all Greek History and Culture Seminars 2025 published events.
- LANGUAGE English
- CATEGORY Education
- EVENT SERIES Seminars > Greek History and Culture Seminars 2025
- SERIES DATES Thursday, 06/03/2025 – Thursday, 25/09/2025
- PRESENTED BY The Greek Community of Melbourne
- FEATURING Professor Polymeris Voglis
- M.C. Nick Dallas
- MAJOR DONORS Delphi Accounting, Symposiarch Wines and the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria
- PLACE Online (YouTube, Facebook)
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