Greek thinkers in Central Europe

Austria and Switzerland might not be regarded as the most popular destinations for post-war Greek migrants, but these two countries have been a second home for certain historical Greek figures, especially prior to Greek independence.

The Greek lane (Griechengasse), Vienna. Once an important destination for the Greek Diaspora in Austria Source: Creative commons

Three hundred years agao, Austria was  home for many Greek thinkers and acted as a pivotal location for developing ideas that would later inspire the Greek Uprising of the early 19th Century

Switzerland would have been a very different country if it was not for Ioannis Kapodistrias who today is regarded as a national hero of the country.

However, the Greek presence does not finish in history, as thousands of Greek expatriates preserve and spread the Greek language and culture in these two countries today.

 

Featured:

Kostas Fizoglou, President of the Austrian Federation of Hellenic Societies

Father Ioannis Nikolitsis, Deputy Principal of the Greek National School of Vienna

Maria A Stassinopoulou, Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, University of Vienna

Elftheria Markogiannaki-Antonoglou, President of the Greek Community of Bern

Xionia Petrof, Faculty of Modern Greek Language, Literature and Civilisation, University of Geneva

 

Interviews:  Panos Apostolou

Producer: Odysseas Kripotos

Technical Production: Qazim Menxhiqi