Parnassos (association)
The Parnassos (full name Greek Φιλολογικός Σύλλογος Παρνασσός Philologios Síllogos Parnassós , German 'literary association Parnassos' ) is a Greek literary association that was founded in Athens in 1865 . It is thus the oldest existing literary society on mainland Greece. The association offers evening courses, has a library, organizes readings and competitions, and publishes various magazines and series of publications.
history
The association was founded in 1865 by a group of students, among whom were the later dramatist Dimitrios Koromilas and the later university professor, sports official and politician Spyridon Lambros and his three brothers. They chose Mount Parnassus as their name , which in Greek mythology is dedicated to the god Apollo and is considered the home of the muses . The occasion of the association was the joint performance of self-composed dramas for entertainment and cultural enrichment of the public.
The aim of the association was and is the promotion and dissemination of culture and education. At the suggestion of member Spyridon Vasiliadis , the association founded and financed schools for needy children from 1872 onwards. Within a few years, this initiative led to the establishment of schools in almost all major cities in Greece, which were funded by the association without state support. In addition, the association announced a playwright's prize and was committed to improving conditions in prisons . The association's first journal, also called Parnassos , appeared from 1877 to 1895. From 1896 to 1939 the association published a yearbook ( Eterís ).
In the 1920s and 1930s, the association intensified its efforts to offer evening classes to children in need. By 1940, over 40,000 participants had successfully completed these courses.
The second series of the Parnassos magazine has been published quarterly or half-yearly since 1959 .
literature
- Bruce Merry: Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature , Westport (Connecticut) / London 2004, p. 321
