87-106

The Greek of Bithynia and the Greek national state, 1898-1903 : Unpublished letters from the archive of the association "Anatoli"

Articles

• Κιτρομηλίδη, Μάγδα, Μ.
• Κιτρομηλίδη, Μάγδα Μ.

This paper presents and discusses a series of letters addressed between 1898and 1903 by George Paschalides, a pharmacist at Pera in Constantinople toMargaritis Evangelides, professor at the University of Athens and chairman ofthe Association of Asia Minor natives in Athens «Anatoli» (Orient). Bothcorrespondents were natives of Bithynia in Northwestern Asia Minor. Theletters deal for the most part with the educational needs and difficulties facingtwo Orthodox Armenian-speaking communities in the region, Ortaköi andChoudi. In requesting the Association’s assistance, Paschalides expresses at thesame time the expectations and disappointments of Asia Minor Greeks at theneglect they felt was shown towards them by the Greek consular authorities inConstantinople but also by educational agencies in Athens, especially the PhilekpaideftikiEtaireia (Education-promotion Society) whose professed aim hadbeen the encouragement of Greek education among the unredeemed Orthodoxpopulations of the Ottoman Empire. The correspondent points out that theSociety had failed to carry out its own programme which had aroused so muchhope among education-loving Greeks in Asia Minor. In addition G. Paschalidesrefers to other obstacles and difficulties facing the intellectual developmentof the Greeks in Constantinople itself, chief among them being officialOttoman censorship of their newspapers and other publications, which impededfree expression. After the disappointment from the PhilekpaideftikiEtaireia and from Greek officials, the hopes of Asia Minor Greeks focused onthe Asociation «Anatoli» for the solution of their problems.

• History and Archaeology

• Ιστορία

• http://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/deltiokms/article/view/2614
• http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/deltiokms.233