The most complete information guide about Athens, Greece
Eleftherios Venizelos Museum
& Eleftherios Park
Eleftherias (Freedom) Park is one of the more valuable green spaces
in the centre of Athens. It is situated on Vasilissis Sofias avenue,
next to Megaron Mousikis, the concert hall of Athens. The park
was developed in the 1960s by the architect Vokotopoulos. Inside
the park there is a statue of the great Greek politician made
by Giannis Pappas. Behind it is a complex of buildings used by
the 34th regiment during the Balkan Wars. It is said that Venizelos
used to address the soldiers there before they went off to war.
During
the military dictatorship (1967-1974), these buildings were used
by the military police. Many Greeks were questioned and tortured
there. Today, the park is a cultural centre and a place of remembrance
of the events of recent Greek an Athenian history. The Athens
Municipality Arts Centre is housed here in two separate buildings.
One is used for temporary exhibitions and the other for seminars
and other smaller scale events.
The
Eleftherios Venizelos Museum, founded in 1986, is housed separately.
Its collections consist of the politician’s personal effects,
items relating to events that took place during his life (documents,
photographs, postcards), as well as various pictures and portraits.
The Museum of Anti-dictatorial and Democratic Resistance is in
a building behind the Arts Centre.
Eleftherios
Venizelos (1864-1936)
Eleftherios
Venizelos was born in Crete. He was great politician and
he became one of the most charismatic European leaders
of his time. He founded the Liberal party and served as
Prime Minister of Greece in the troubled times of the
Balkan Wars (1912-1913), World War I (1914-1918), the
Asia Minor campaign (1919-1922) and through a part of
the unsettled and creative mid-war period.
Through
his policies he came into conflict with the monarchy.
He contributed to the expansion of the Greek State
and set the basis for the modernization of Greek society,
particularly in the years 1928-1932.
At
the same time, Venizelos was very much liked and hated
more than any other politician. Apart from being a landmark
in Greek history, he still is a point of reference throughout
Greece.