Greeks in Austria
Encyclopedia
History
Contacts between the Greeks and the Austrians can be led back in the aristocracy of the Middle Ages. Great economic importance and social acknowledgment attained the Greeks in Austria in the 19th Century.The Greek Johannes Theodat opened on January, 17th 1685 Vienna's first coffee house. In 1700 four Greeks had the privilege to serve coffee in public.
In the 18th century Vienna was the centre of Greek diaspora where persons like Rigas Pheraios, Anthimos Gazis
Anthimos Gazis
Anthimos Gazis was a scholar, a philosopher during the Greek Enlightenment, a cartographer and one of the heroes of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. He was born in Milies in Ottoman Greece in 1758 and died in 1828...
, Neophytos Doukas and the Ypsilanti family prepared the Greek revolution. The first Greek newspaper was printed there and the Hellenic National School in Vienna is today the oldest such in the world that has remained continuously in operation. In 20th century Austria (and especially Graz and Linz) was a popular destination for Greek students. The Greek Johannes Theodat opened Vienna's first coffeehouse in 1685. 15 years later, four Greek owned coffeehouses had the privilege to serve coffee.
Architectural Hertitage
The Aromanian-Austrian magnate Georgios SinasGeorgios Sinas
Georgios Sinas was a Greek entrepreneur, banker and national benefactor. He was the founder of the Athens National Observatory.- Biography :Georgios Sinas was born in Niš in 1783 of Greek or possibly Vlach origin, to Northern Epirotian parents. At an early age Sinas lost his mother and was grown...
(father of Simon Sinas
Simon Sinas
- Biography :Simon Sinas was born in 1810 in Vienna. He was of Greek origin, while his family originated from Moscopole. He served as Greek Consul in Vienna, and later as Minister to Austria, the Kingdom of Bavaria, and Germany. The son of Georgios Sinas, also a benefactor and diplomat, Sinas...
) invited the Danish architect Theophil Hansen
Theophil Freiherr von Hansen
Baron Theophil Edvard von Hansen was a Danish architect who later became an Austrian citizen...
who worked in Athens (and had designed there major public buildings like the Zappeion
Zappeion
The Zappeion is a building in the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private.-Constructing the Zappeion:...
and the Academy of Athens
Academy of Athens (modern)
The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education...
) to design for him some new buildings for his companies in Austria. Other Greek Austrians like Nikolaus Dumba and Ignaz von Ephrussi also gave Hansen contracts for buildings in the Classical Greek style and the Gräzisierter-Neorennaissance-Stil. After Works like the Palais Ephrussi
Palais Ephrussi
Palais Ephrussi is a former Ringstraßenpalais in Vienna. It was built for the Ephrussi family of financiers by Theophil Freiherr von Hansen, the architect of the Austrian Parliament Building. It is located opposite St...
and the Palais Dumba Hansen was famous and build many other public buildings in Austria like the Parliament of Austria
Parliament of Austria
In the Parliament of Austria is vested the legislative power of the Republic of Austria. The institution consists of two chambers,* the National Council and* the Federal Council ....
and the Musikverein.
In the former Greek Quarter of Vienna at the Fleischmarkt there are the two historical Greek-Orthodox parishes (St George and Holy Trinity). A traditional Austrian Restaurant there is called Griechenbeisl ("Greek Tavern", because of its Greek visitors since 18th century) and a street Griechengasse (Greek Lane").
Notable Austrians of Greek origin
- Coudenhove-KalergiCoudenhove-KalergiCoudenhove-Kalergi is a noble Bohemian family of mixed European descent formed when Franz Karl Coudenhove married Maria Kalergi . The Coudenhoves had been Reichsgrafs since 1790 and rose to great estate in The Netherlands and Belgium. After the upheaval of the French Revolution they followed...
, from a phanariot family - Nikolaus von Dumba (de)
- Konstantin DumbaKonstantin DumbaKonstantin Dumba , was an Austro-Hungarian diplomat serving as its last accredited Ambassador to the United States and famous for having been expelled during World War I following accusations of espionage.- Life :Born in Vienna on 17 June 1861 as the son of Nikolaus Dumba , a wealthy Greek...
- Konstantin Dumba
- Constantin von EconomoConstantin von EconomoConstantin Freiherr von Economo was a Romanian psychiatrist and neurologist of Greek origin. He is mostly known for his discovery of encephalitis lethargica and his atlas of cytoarchitectonics.- Youth and schooling :Constantin Freiherr Economo von San Serff was born in Brăila, Romania, to Greek...
- Ephrussi familyEphrussi familyThe Ephrussi family were a Jewish banking and oil dynasty who originated in Odessa, Ukraine. The family were elevated to the nobility by the Habsburg emperor. The family controlled large-scale oil resources in the Crimea and the Caucasus. They had made their initial fortune controlling grain...
, Ukrainian family of Jewish Greek descent - Karajan family
- Theodor von Karajan, politician and grandfather of Herbert
- Herbert von KarajanHerbert von KarajanHerbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...
- Demeter LaccatarisDemeter LaccatarisDemeter Laccataris was an Austro-Hungarian portrait painter of Greek origin. Born in Vienna, he studied at Debrecen and Vienna. He was based at Pest from around 1835 and painted portraits and altarpieces. He painted signboards as well...
- Simon SinasSimon Sinas- Biography :Simon Sinas was born in 1810 in Vienna. He was of Greek origin, while his family originated from Moscopole. He served as Greek Consul in Vienna, and later as Minister to Austria, the Kingdom of Bavaria, and Germany. The son of Georgios Sinas, also a benefactor and diplomat, Sinas...
- Peter PersidisPeter PersidisPeter Persidis was a former international Austrian footballer.- Career :Persidis started his professional career at First Vienna, than returned to his father's home country in the early 1970s, and went on to win three Greek titles with Olympiacos prior to returning to Vienna in 1975 to play for SK...
- Pappas Family, founders of the Alpine construction group and importers of Mercedes-Benz in Austria and Hungary
- Maria Vassilakou, President of the Viennese branch of The Greens – The Green Alternative, the third party in the Austrian Parliament (de)
See also
- Austria–Greece relations