Thessaloniki Museum for the Macedonian Struggle

Location: Aristotle Square
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

The Museum for the Macedonian Struggle is located in the center of Thessaloniki, on Proxenou Koromila Street, right next to the Church of Agios Gregorios Palamas. It is housed inside an elegant Neoclassical building that originally hosted the Greek General Consulate of Thessaloniki. Designed by famed architect Ernst Ziller, the building was constructed in 1893 with the financial aid of the Greek benefactor Andreas Syngros.

During the Macedonian Struggle (1904-1908), the Greek Consulate of Thessaloniki became a secret center of operations, where military officers met and guidelines were given for the evolution of the struggle. In just three years of his service as a consulate in Thessaloniki, Lambros Koromilas managed to unite the Greek fight groups of Macedonia under one united administration. After the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, the region of Macedonia was set free and was integrated into the Greek State. The consulate service was subsequently resolved as it had no more essential meaning and the building was used for public services.

Since then, the building has also been used as a primary school, a night school, and a branch of the Agricultural Bank and the National Bank. During the German occupation of Thessaloniki (1941-1944), the Red Cross distributed food in the basement of the building, while for a few months after the Civil War (1949), the basement was used as a prison for political opponents. The building was badly damaged after the severe earthquake of 1978. A few years later, it was renovated to host the relics of the Macedonian Struggle, and it was inaugurated as a museum on October 27th, 1982.

The ground floor of the museum hosts seven rooms showing the historical course of Macedonia in acquiring its freedom:
• Hall A showcases the Greek revolutionary movements in Macedonia during the 19th century.
• Hall B presents the society of Macedonia at the end of the 19th century.
• Hall C is the representation of the Consular Office of Lambros Koromilas.
• Hall D presents the staffing of the Greek guerrilla corps.
• Hall E is dedicated to the Greek fight in the countryside and the towns as well as the role of the clergymen.
• Hall F shows the end of the armed struggle and the Balkan Wars that led to the unification of Macedonia with the rest of Greece, and
• Hall G shows the evolution of Macedonia after the end of the Balkan Wars.

On the first floor, there is room for temporary exhibitions, lectures, seminars, and film screenings. In the basement, there are four life-size dioramas with scenes from the Macedonian Struggle: a school where a Turkish soldier enters to search for Greek guerrillas, the fight of Greeks in the lakes of Giannitsa, the arrival of a Greek spy in the railway station of Florina, and the struggle of an Orthodox priest to save the church.

In 1988, the museum founded the Research Center for Macedonian History and Documentation to promote the study of the history of Macedonia, particularly of the Macedonian Question. The Center houses a specialized library, digital resources, archival material, and a large photographic archive of 4,000 photos.

Official website: imma.edu.gr