Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης, Φιλοσοφική Σχολή, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας

The University of Thessaloniki was founded one hundred years after the founding of the University of Athens and a decade after Thessaloniki’s annexation to the Greek national state, in 1925. The Faculty of Philosophy established, as early as the initial years of its functioning, the principles by which it would work, displaying a high degree of progressivism in terms of spirit and language, compared to the Faculty of Philosophy in Athens, as well as contributing to the character of the University. The Faculty of Philosophy was the only school of the University at that time and opened its doors to 65 students in 1926.

The aim of the Faculty has been twofold; on the one hand, to educate competent staff for Greece’s Secondary Education and, on the other hand, to mold scholars who can contribute to research in a wide range of areas of historical and social studies and of the humanities, which is the task of any Faculty of Philosophy.

The School of History and Archaeology, which has been Department of the Faculty of Philosophy since its foundation, currently consists of four sections: (a) Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine Medieval History, (b) Modern and Contemporary History, Folklore and Social Anthropology, (c) Archeology, (d) Art History. Each section independently develops its research activities but collectively implements a common Curriculum.

The Faculty of Philosophy was first housed in the “Allatini” building, which now hosts the Prefecture of Thessaloniki services. Soon, however, the location proved to be problematic and, in October 1927, it was transferred to a mansion in Ethnikis Amynis street. It was situated next to the Jewish Cemetery and was built in 1888 by Vitaliano Poselli to housethe Ottoman school “Idadie”. After the annexation of Thessaloniki to the Greek state, the building housed the 2nd Military Hospital. The building was renovated in 1932 to host all schools of the University, as well as its library. In 1942, during the German Occupation of Thessaloniki, the Jewish Cemetery was destroyed by Nazis and their Greek collaborators. After the end of WWII, the field of the cemetery was granted by the Greek State to the University of Thessaloniki in order to build new buildings. Today, the School of History and Archaeology is housed in the New Building of the Faculty of Philosophy, which is right next to the historic (old) building of Ethnikis Amynis street. The old building houses part of the School’s activities. The administrative services of the School are in the 2nd floor of the Administration Building (K. Karathodoris).

The School of History and Archaeology holds a History Archive since 1927. Today the Archive is located in a special section of the Library of Modern and Contemporary History, on the 4th floor of the New Building of the Faculty of Philosophy. The collections were obtained by donations or purchases and include original historical documents, copies of documents or manuscripts, newspapers, history maps, microfilms, as well as rare documents from various archives and libraries – in Greece and abroad – related to modern and contemporary Greek history.

The Library of Folklore and Social Anthropology which serves the School’s students and scientific staff holds the Archive of Stilpon Kyriakidis who served as a dean at the Aristotle University during 1934–1935 and during the period of the anti-jewish measures in Thessaloniki (1942-1943). The Archive consists of papers, articles and notes concerning his academic interests, as well as parts of his personal and academic correspondence.

Except from archival holdings in paper form, the School of History and Archaeology has developed an effort to promote digital approaches to archival material. In particular, the Chair of Jewish Studies in collaboration with scholars from AUTh as well as other Greek and European Universities developed a research project and a website concerning the Nazi Concentration Camps in Greece, 1941-1944.

A brief catalogue in Greek is available online at: https://www.hist.auth.gr/%ce%b9%cf%83%cf%84%ce%bf%cf%81%ce%b9%ce%ba%cf%8c-%ce%b1%cf%81%cf%87%ce%b5%ce%af%ce%bf/#pll_switcher