50 YEARS FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WAR MUSEUM

Wishing to honour all those who fought for Greece’s freedom, the Greek state decided in 1964 to establish a War Museum in Athens. The Bauhaus-style building, designed by architect Thucydides Valentis, professor at the National Technical University of Athens, was inaugurated in July 1975. The Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and exhibit war memorabilia; to study, document and highlight the struggles of the Greek nation since antiquity; and to nurture historical memory and showcase the historical continuity and unity of Hellenism. On display are memorabilia from all the periods of Greek military history, with historical, photographic and film archive sections. Pride of place is given to the Saroglou collection of weaponry from around the world. The Museum also hosts temporary exhibitions and has branches in Thessaloniki and several other cities.