The Hour Of Greece By The Hellenic American Union

On the occasion of this year’s celebration of Ohi Day, Hellenic American University | Hellenic American College and the Greek America Foundation, in collaboration with the General State Archives of Greece, are pleased to present the exhibition "The Hour of Greece". The exhibition is held under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece.

 

A symbol of national resistance, Ohi Day commemorates Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas’ rejection on October 28, 1940 of Mussolini’s ultimatum for surrender. In the face of the Italian invasion that followed and despite being vastly outnumbered, Greece not only defended itself but counterattacked and defeated the enemy forces. The event united the Greek people and evoked respect among the Allies for Greeks everywhere. The story of the small neutral country’s victory over the much larger invading forces made a deep impression on American public opinion.

 

Drawing largely on rare archival material from the private collection of Gregory Pappas, a member of the Greek Diaspora, including newspapers, cartoons and photographs, all of which on display for the first time in Greece, "The Hour of Greece" seeks to show the impact of the Greek victory in the United States in the early years of World War II. At the same time, the exhibition highlights the important contribution that Americans made to healing post-war hardships in Greece. Material from the Pappas Collection has been enriched with documentary material from the General State Archives of Greece to better illustrate the relations of the peoples of Greece and United States at that time.

 

 

Curator: Louisa Karapidaki

Scientific advisor: Yannis N. Glavinas

 

Opening: Thursday, October 24, 19:00 

Exhibition duration: 24/10-20/12/2019

Kennedy & Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas Galleries (Massalias 22, Athens)

Admission is free