After the defeat of the Greek army in Asia Minor in August 1922, hundreds of thousands of refugees were relocated to Greece. In 1928, by official count, 1,221,849 refugees were living in Greece, including those who had arrived earlier from countries outside Asia Minor, such as Bulgaria and Russia. Refugees arrived in tragic condition; they were scared, destitute and exhausted by disease and trauma. The Greek state, domestic and foreign voluntary relief organizations, such as the Greek Red Cross, the American Near East Relief and the YMCA, as well as individuals, responded to the refugees’ primary needs for food and medical care. The Refugee Relief Fund, which operated from 1922 to 1925, was established to deal with the urgent problem of providing shelter. In 1925, the Refugee Settlement Commission was founded. In order to accommodate the refugees, new settlements were created and others were expanded.
In Attica, the population increased by 68 percent and formed an extended urban complex from Athens to Piraeus. Consortia were created to build housing and construction loans at low interest rates were granted to refugees. Even though some families were not successfully integrated, living for many years in shacks around the refugee settlements, the response of the public and private sector to accommodate this sudden large population increase constitutes an extraordinary achievement in the history of town planning and urban expansion of the Greek State.
The most common work found by refugees was in the textile and carpet manufacturing industries and as shopkeepers and domestic help. Some refugees, especially those who had succeeded in transferring part of their wealth to Greece, immediately adjusted well to their new homeland. Differences in mindset and customs created a gap between the natives and newcomers - the term “refugee” was often used with a negative connotation. However, the refugees gradually adjusted to the new conditions, worked harmoniously with the local population, found their way to prosperity in the new homeland and, in many cases, raised the country’s educational and cultural standards.
Aspects of this major tragedy, especially the slow process of assimilation and the healing of wounds, are reflected in many cultural and artistic endeavors. Indeed, the refugee experience, as revealed through literature and the visual arts, continues to influence Greek intellectual life.
The photographic material presented at the Maliotis Center is part of the exhibition, The 1922 refugee settlement in Attica, that was on view in Athens from October 2006 through April 2007. The exhibition in Athens was organized by the Hellenic Parliament Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy. The display at the Maliotis Center was organized by the Foundation in cooperation with the Press and Communication Office of the Consulate General of Greece in Boston.
The exhibit is open 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on weekdays, except holidays, and occasionally on evenings and weekends.
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