By Giannis Loukas

Historian

This year, the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary. It was formally established in the spring of 2007 by Panos Laskaridis and his late wife, Marilena, who passed away in 2015.

In its three decades of operation, it has become a unique cultural center with a continuous presence in all areas of education and culture, as well as making a significant contribution to society.

Information then and now. Friend or foe

Its multifaceted work is based on three main pillars: Culture, Education, and Maritime Affairs, which form the starting point for the planning of all activities and the fulfillment of the Foundation’s objectives.

Fishing Library of Constantine and Panagiotis Laskaridis

Its activities include cultural events, lectures, conferences, workshops, educational programs, and seminars covering the entire spectrum of the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the development of programs and applications in the field of digital humanities and collaborations with Greek and foreign universities, libraries, and other cultural institutions.

Library

The crowning achievement of the Foundation’s long-standing efforts is its Historical Library (2nd Division 36 & Aktis Moutsopoulou in Piraeus), which has approximately 600,000 titles, collects, preserves, and showcases the libraries and the archives of prominent figures in literature, the arts, and science.

The Shipwreck of the Three Seas

The Historical Library building permanently houses:(α) η Μaritime Collection part of which are the Admiral Nelson’s and Codrington’s collections, with personal items, correspondence, and ship logs, and (b) the exhibition “Faith and Art” with selected post-Byzantine icons from the 15th to 19th centuries from the Emilios Velimezis Collection, donated by the Margaritis and Makris families.

From the Aegean to the Ionian. A sea of knowledge

Over time, the Foundation has supported the humanities by investing in modern research tools and the ongoing maintenance and renewal of existing digital applications.

Travel collection by Panagiotis K. Laskaridis

A landmark and point of reference for Piraeus is the “Kaiti Laskaridis” Lending Library, which offers more than 100,000 books for loan. Its welcoming space hosts a variety of activities for adults and children, to whom the Foundation has shown particular interest with educational programs, events, workshops, and updated special collections.

Archive of Admiral Thomas Cochrane

The Foundation’s initiatives include actions that support education, Greek literature, archaeology, and the environment.

Institutional recognition of the Foundation’s contribution came in 2025 with the awarding of the Third Class Prize in Moral and Social Sciences by the Academy of Athens for its significant and ongoing contribution to the fields of culture and education, in our country and internationally.

Libraries and Archives of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation

The work of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation never stops. Promoting Greek culture and supporting science and society is a never-ending task. After all, the essence of the Foundation’s contribution is summed up in Marilena Laskaridis’s words: “Hope never ends...”