OLGA MOUTSIANOU
European Civilization, museologist Thesis title: Streets of Absence: Jews of Thessaloniki then and now The present thesis seeks to explore aspects of the long history of Jewish population as well as the remained imprints marked on the body of the city and whether these may be detected today.The history of Thessaloniki, for almost five centuries, is inextricably linked with […]
European Civilization, museologist
Thesis title: Streets of Absence: Jews of Thessaloniki then and now
The present thesis seeks to explore aspects of the long history of Jewish population as well as the remained imprints marked on the body of the city and whether these may be detected today.The history of Thessaloniki, for almost five centuries, is inextricably linked with the history of Jewish community. From Roman times already, there are reports referring the presence of Jews in Thessaloniki. In 1430, when Sultan Murat the Second conquered Thessaloniki, a new era began. City’s population in 1492 was approximately 10,000 people, during that year thousands Caravellas arrived from Spain and nearly 20,000 Sephardic Jews settled in Thessaloniki. They bring along with their vocalist language, Sephardic, their culture and customs and give a new physiognomy to their new home. By 1941, were 56,000 Jews in Thessaloniki, most of whom were deported and exterminated in the camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau, by Nazi. The 96% of these people would have never come back again. By the end of 2nd World war and for many years, the erstwhile crucible of Balkan people, Thessaloniki, subordinated to the fate of the postwar Hellenism and a veil of silence covers the history of city’s Jews community.Today, the cultural route we present is a proposal for managing the memories, in order to enable residents and visitors to “read” the city and compose a holistic picture of the past and how this is shaped nowadays. Still, another goal is the understanding of diversity and fragmented nature of the past and attempt to create a narrative profile of historical continuity, in order to illuminate those aspects of city’s history, that till recently were shaded and silenced. An opportunity maybe, for giving a thought in a critical manner looking backwards.