A circular garden serving as a place of remembrance for the people uprooted in 1922 was unveiled today at an official ceremony on the campus of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The memorial, created by Associate Professor Aris Katsilakis, head of the Department of Visual and Applied Arts, is a space that visitors can enter and explore. At its center stands an olive tree, with its roots symbolising ties to the homelands that were lost. Surrounding it are 12 stone sections with references, among others, to Pontus, Trebizond, Smyrna, Ionia and Cappadocia.

The unveiling was followed by an event in the Ceremonial Hall featuring speeches on the contribution of the refugees and, subsequently, an open-air concert by brothers Konstantinos and Matthaios Tsahouridis.

In his speech, Rector Kyriakos Anastasiadis spoke of a day of particular symbolism, honouring a defining chapter in the history of modern Hellenism, inextricably linked to Thessaloniki and to the history of Aristotle University. Referring to the memorial dedicated to the refugees of 1922, he noted that it is a monument that recognises their historical journey, honours their contribution to the homeland and keeps their legacy alive for future generations.

“We chose for it to be part of the everyday life of the University. Among our female and male students, and among the people who devote themselves every day to knowledge and science. Because historical memory must not be confined to books, museums and anniversaries. It must be present in public spaces, become part of our education and engage in dialogue with young people,” Mr Anastasiadis said.

“Today,” he added, “we did not simply inaugurate a memorial; we created a permanent meeting place between historical memory and the generations of the future.”

In his address, Aristotle University Vice-Rector Iakovos Michailidis spoke of people who arrived in Greece following the Asia Minor Catastrophe and brought with them entire worlds, languages, music, religious traditions, professional knowledge and family memories. He added that the challenge is not only to remember, but to do so critically and to protect historical knowledge from oversimplification.

In his keynote speech, entitled “The integration and contribution of the refugees of 1922”, Thanos Veremis, Professor Emeritus at the Hellenic Open University, stressed that the refugees arrived in Greece as defeated Greeks from a country that had expelled them, into a country they did not know.

“And yet, they offered us the best that we could have hoped for,” he added, referring also to his acquaintance with poet George Seferis, who was born and raised in Smyrna and whom he described as “the man who mourned a lost homeland”. Mr Veremis was presented with an honorary distinction by Aristotle University Rector Kyriakos Anastasiadis.

The musical performance “Our East” followed, featuring the group “Psyche and Body” and the Tsahouridis brothers, fourth-generation descendants of refugees and holders of doctorates from the University of London.