THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF THESSALONIKI

On the occasion of the 100^th celebration of the liberation of Thessaloniki, the Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute of Democracy cordially invites you to a symposium on: The Jewish Community of Thessaloniki: From the Balkan Wars to the Second World War.

The main think tank of liberal thinking in Greece, the Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy, in the fifteen years of its existence, has been actively involved with and supported by leading politicians, technocrats and members of the scientific community, all of whom have helped shape the diverse work of the Institute. Largely concerned with: public events, specialised publications, research programmes, education, training and collaboration with international organizations, its main aims are the strengthening of democracy, balanced development of the state, markets, society and fulfillment of European integration.

 

 

Before 1912 , Thessaloniki was not only the second biggest urban centre of the Ottoman Empire, but it was also the only city of the Empire where Jews where constituted the majority of the population. The liberation of Thessaloniki and its incorporation in the Greek state as a result of the Balkan Wars marked the beginning of a new era for the Jewish community of the Macedonian capital city. Due to their big population size, the Jewish residence of Thessaloniki would play an important role in the economic, political and social life of the city throughout the Interwar period. This prosperous era was violently terminated by the Second World War since the occupation of Thessaloniki by the German armed forces led to the almost total extermination of the city’s Jews population, who were sent to the concentration camps. The symposium aims in highlighting the overall contribution of the Jewish community of Thessaloniki from the Balkan Wars to the Second World War.