On Friday, 5 December 2025, the University of Macedonia’s Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, together with the Council of Industrial Heritage (SYVIK) of ELLINIKI ETAIRIA – Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, held a one-day hybrid conference titled:
“Space, Culture and the History of Entrepreneurship: Industrial Heritage and Its Documentation through Archives.”
The Athens Heritage Hub proudly supported the initiative, which reflects its mission to strengthen regional networks and promote innovative approaches to cultural and industrial heritage in Greece, the Balkans and the wider Mediterranean. Speakers and participants joined from Greece, Turkey, Albania and the United States.
Conference Overview
The event opened with welcoming remarks by Eleni Gavra and Olga Deligianni, members of the organizing–scientific committee, who highlighted the need for stronger cooperation between historians, archivists and heritage professionals.
The conference examined how archives contribute to understanding the history of entrepreneurship and industrial development, addressing current challenges in preserving business records and highlighting the role of oral history in documenting professions and commercial activity.
Session I: Entrepreneurs, Companies and Industrial Sites of Thessaloniki
Moderators: Eleni Haralambidou & Georgia Zacharopoulou
This opening session explored key archival sources on Thessaloniki’s industrial past. Speakers presented material from major collections—such as the Historical Archive of Macedonia, the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the PIOP Historical Archive—demonstrating how these records illuminate the development of local businesses, industrial products and historical workspaces. The Port of Thessaloniki Authority Archive was also highlighted as a crucial source for understanding the city’s commercial and maritime evolution.
Session II: Tobacco Heritage in Northern Greece and the Balkans
Moderator: Sofia Gouvousi
A lively roundtable brought together historians and representatives of historic tobacco-trading families and companies. The discussion emphasized the cultural and economic significance of the tobacco trade in Northern Greece and the Balkans and underlined the urgent need to preserve family and corporate archives connected to this important regional industry.
Session III: Business Relations in the Balkan & Mediterranean Region
Moderators: Giannis Karras & Aleka Alexopoulou
This hybrid session included both in-person and online contributions, enabling speakers from Greece, Turkey, Albania and the USA to participate. Presentations focused on entrepreneurial networks across the Balkans and the Mediterranean, including research on early 20th-century Greek business families, the heritage of silk production in Bursa, the reach industrial heritage in Albania, and archival evidence on the development of Thessaloniki’s tramway and electricity services.
Watch the Presentations
The livestream of all the Sessions remains available online (in Greek and English):
Detailed Program: Here
Press Release (in Greek): Here
