The 8th Panhellenic Student Conference on Modern and Contemporary History was held with great success at the University of the Peloponnese in Kalamata on Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, 2026. The conference was titled “200 Years Since the Heroic Exodus from Messolonghi and 50+2 Years Since the Restoration of Democracy” and was organized by the “Laboratory of Modern and Contemporary History: New Perspectives and Approaches” of the Department of History, Archaeology, and Cultural Heritage Management at the University of the Peloponnese.
On the second day of the conference, a presentation was given by the administrators and members of our website’s editorial team, Giorgos Giannikos and Magda Balafouti, titled “The Siege and Exodus of Messolonghi in Everyday European Life: 19th-Century Philhellenic Utensils.” The aim of the presentation was to showcase philhellenic objects depicting the Siege and Exodus of Messolonghi and to highlight the significance of these events and their impact on 19th-century Europe. During that period in the Western world, philhellenic plates, hand fans, clocks, playing cards, and other objects were produced, serving both practical needs and recreational or aesthetic purposes.
From 15 to 17 March 2023, the National Library of Greece at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation hosted the international conference “Philhellenism and the Greek Revolution of 1821: Toward a Global History.” The conference was organized by the British School at Athens (BSA) in collaboration with the National Library of Greece (NLG).
The administrator of our website, Giorgos Giannikos, participated as a speaker, presenting a paper titled: “The Greek Revolution and the African American Press: The Philhellenic Stance of the Newspaper ‘Freedom’s Journal’.” The talk took place on 15 March 2023 and outlined how the African American newspaper covered the revolutionary events in Greece between 1827 and 1829, as well as how its philhellenic stance was expressed.
On Tuesday, 17 March 2026, the sixth-grade students of the 5th Elementary School of Megara participated in the educational program “Philhellenes of 1821” and learned about prominent figures of Philhellenes and interesting aspects of the philhellenic movement during the Greek Revolution (the press, philhellenic fundraisers, philhellenic everyday objects, etc.). The children attended the program with great interest and expanded their knowledge on the subject. The presentation was conducted by Mr. Giorgos Giannikos, teacher and administrator of our website, using the method of a distance learning presentation. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the 6th-grade teacher, Ms. Alexandra Panagopoulou, as well as to the school administration.
On Tuesday, 17 March 2026, the "Philhellenes of History" visited the 12th Elementary School of Kalamata. As part of the educational activities marking the anniversary of the national celebration of March 25, the fifth- and sixth-grade students attended the educational program “Philhellenes of 1821.” The children learned about key figures of the philhellenic movement during the years of the Revolution and gained an understanding of the multifaceted activities and contributions of the Philhellenes. The aim was to foster the students’ historical literacy and to connect Philhellenism with the local history of Kalamata. The presentation was held on the school by Giorgos Giannikos, a teacher and the administrator of our website. Warm thanks to the school’s teachers for the invitation and their hospitality.
The “Philhellenes of History” visited the Arfara Elementary School in Messinia on Monday, April 7, 2025. Giorgos Giannikos, a teacher and the administrator of our website, presented to the fifth- and sixth-grade students unique aspects of the Philhellenic movement during the Greek Revolution of 1821. The children followed the presentation with keen interest and learned about various types of Philhellenes who, through their actions, actively supported the Greek Struggle for Independence. Warm thanks to the teachers and the school administration for the invitation.
On Wednesday, 23 October 2024, at the headquarters of the Society for the Study of Modern Hellenism (EMNE) in Athens (11 Zosimou Street), a presentation was held on the topic of African American Philhellenism during the years of the Greek Revolution, given by Giorgos Giannikos, administrator of the “Philhellenes of History” page. The discussion panelists were Ms. Maria Damilakou, Assistant Professor of American History in the Department of History at the Ionian University, and Ms. Anna Karakatsouli, Professor of European History and Culture in the Department of Theater Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
