On the occasion of the Asia Minor Catastrophe’s centenary, the Historical Archive, in collaboration with the Municipal Library and the Municipal Gallery of the Municipality of Piraeus, inaugurated the exhibition “Piraeus, 1922: refugee documents“. The project was implemented by the company Uni Systems, while Peripatos undertook the museological study and museographic design.

The exhibition, which is dedicated to that turbulent period of 1922, focuses on Piraeus and narrates the historical conditions of that era, by highlighting rare archival material, photographs, maps, and other evidence, as well as audio narration through a mobile app.

After all, Piraeus was the port where a large number of refugees from Asia Minor and other regions arrived, serving as an intermediate stop for some and the final destination for others. This resulted in a sharp increase in the city’s population, and decisively contributed to its economic and social transformation, due to the refugee settlements that developed around it.

The exhibition emphasises on the refugees’ naturalisation applications, preserved in the Historical Archive of the Municipality of Piraeus. These applications were signed by refugee associations, which were responsible for verifying the identity of the person requesting citizenship. It was a case of self-organisation, aiming at their social integration, as well as the preservation of their cultural identity.