The Association was founded in 1865, in a socio-political environment of particular interest for Greece, where a wind of creation was blowing.
The historic building celebrates its 160th anniversary this year Parnassos Philological Association, whose name comes from the sacred mountain of Apollo and the Muses.
The Association was founded in 1865, in a socio-political environment of particular interest to Greece, where a wind of creation, recovery of the country, organizational development of the state was blowing and among the citizens optimism and the willingness to contribute to the common good, through the creation of associations and clubs, prevailed.
It was precisely during this period that four children aged 11-16, sons of the numismatist Pavlos Lambros, envisioned the establishment of a cultural association, which aimed at "progress and general benefit through the joint action of its members".
With the children's systematic work and the support of their father, the Association was founded by Royal Decree and its first president was Michael Lambrou. It was initially housed in the Lambrou family home on Parthenagogeio Street (now Pesmazoglou Street), later on Romvis Street and Kolokotroni Street, until in 1891 it acquired its own premises, the neoclassical mansion of historical value on Karytsi Street, where it is housed to this day.
The initiative of these young people was an unprecedented success, as society embraced and dynamically strengthened the cultural institution. Thus, Parnassos became the center of intellectual activity of the era, a center that essentially monitored the life of Athens.
Its fame went beyond borders and it was characterized as the first Academy of Letters and Arts of Greece. Its founders were primarily concerned with the registration of members, which were constantly increasing and included most of the university professors of the time, prominent personalities of letters and arts, as well as political and military leadership.
Every week, scientific lectures, exhibitions and the first photography exhibition by amateur photographers, concerts, competitions and dance evenings were organized to financially support the Association, with the highlight being the annual dance, under the auspices of the Royal Family, which was the secular event of the city of Athens. Moreover, the Parnassos Hall hosted Pierre de Coubertin's speech on Athens' hosting of the 1896 Olympic Games.
Parnassos did not limit itself to cultural activities, but also turned its attention with interest and a sense of solidarity to the problems of social strata suffering from poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. Thus, in 1872, the School for Poor Children was founded by the poet and member of Parnassos, Spyridon Vassiliadis, and with Andreas Syngros as its first financier.
Today, Parnassos performs a remarkable social work of educational contribution with the operation of a Primary School for foreigners with the aim of learning Greek as a foreign language.
The Association's social work continued during the Balkan Wars and World Wars I and II, and ceased in 1943, when the Parnassos building was handed over to the Germans, who converted it into a military court. From 1950 until today, Parnassos has been continuously intensifying its activities.
In recent years, at the suggestion of the president, Professor V. Konstantinopoulos, a Free University has been operating with lectures and seminars in the humanities and social sciences, natural and biological sciences, as well as an interdisciplinary seminar on philosophical research. The Free University is housed in the "Kostis Palamas" hall, a hall that stands out with its excellent decoration, historical relics of the association and photographs of poets and prose writers.
The library, with a large volume of books, around 70.000, was upgraded with a new cataloging system, the literary publications were enriched with works by distinguished scholars and the Levidis archive was published, an important work on the political history of the 19th century.
At the same time, its board of directors made a historic decision, namely the registration of women as regular members, something that had been impermissible for a century and a half! Moreover, Parnassos became particularly close to civil society outside Athens. It therefore proceeded to establish regional branches of the association with the aim of spreading its ideas, events and publications in the periphery of the country.
Parnassos, celebrating 160 years of life, continues to remain a beacon of knowledge and education and to honor Greece with its history.
photo by GreekRadioFL
