About the panel discussion 

On the centennial of the founding of the largest orphanage of the Eastern Mediterranean, a team of archaeologists, historians, architects, and videographers have been studying the Near East Relief Orphanage of Syros. The orphanage was constructed and operated by the American philanthropic organization Near East Relief as part of the response to the humanitarian crisis of 1922. During the last decade, toys, letters, documents, clothes, tools, and other personal items associated with the NER orphanage in the 1920s have been uncovered underneath the wooden floorboards of the orphanage. To place these items in context, the Syros Near East Relief Project has conducted a systematic study in numerous archival repositories in Greece, the United States, Armenia and beyond.

The discussants will present the ongoing research on the history of the orphanage, the personnel, and the thousands of orphans as well as the work of the Near East Relief in Greece. 

The discussion will be in English.

About the discussants

Lefteris Zorzos is a Bronze Age archaeologist trained at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. His research focuses on the prehistoric landscape of the island of Thera through phytolith analysis. He has created the Santorini Archive Project to preserve the historical, archaeological and cultural heritage of the island.  Since 2014 he has worked on the Near East Relief Orphanage of Syros (N.E.R.O.S project). He recently curated the exhibition entitled “1923-2023 – The Syros Near East Relief Orphanage.”

Nina Georgiadou is an Architect and Civil Engineer, specializing in the protection, restoration, and management of architectural heritage. She has studied at the National Technical University of Athens and at the Raymond Lemaire International Center for Conservation KU Leuven University, in Belgium. In 2021 she carried out an internship in the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, and has written a MS Diploma thesis on the regeneration of the bombed squares in the medieval town of Rhodes.

Eleftheria Daleziou is a historian and trained archivist with a B.A. in History, an M.Phil., and a Ph.D. in Modern History from the University of Glasgow, UK. She holds an M.Litt. in Archives and Records Management from the University of Dundee, UK. Her research and publications address various aspects of Greek history of the first half of the 20th century, with particular emphasis on interwar Greece. Since 2007 she has been working at the ASCSA Archives. She co-curated the exhibition “In the name of Humanity. American Relief Aid in Greece 1918-1929.”

The exhibition "In the Name of Humanity. American Relief Aid in Greece, 1918-1929" will be open to public 6.00-9.00pm. Free admission.