Greece
Capital of Culture year opened in Eleusis
Opening ceremony for the European Capital of Culture 2023 in the city of Eleusis west of Athens. photo
© Yorgos Karahalis/AP/dpa
In ancient times, the entrance to the underworld, later an industrial center, and then detached. Now the small Greek port town of Eleusis is trying to restart as European Capital of Culture 2023.
The small Greek port town of Eleusis (also: Elefsina) launched its European Capital of Culture year on Saturday with a multimedia celebration, laser and searchlight beams, dance and music and the participation of numerous residents.
With around 30,000 inhabitants, it is the smallest city to date to be European Capital of Culture. The celebrations lasted until the early hours of the morning.
Eleusis is around 20 kilometers west of the Greek capital Athens and has always been overshadowed by it. Efforts are now being made to free oneself from this marginal situation and to become more independent. “For us, the year of the Capital of Culture is the hope for a new start and better times,” said Mayor Argyris Oikonomou of the German Press Agency during the opening ceremony. The organizers deliberately use the ancient Greek city name Eleusis and not the current name Elefsina to refer to the importance of the city in ancient times.
The motto is “Mysteries of Transition”. All productions reflected what the city stood for in ancient times: the “Mysteries of Eleusis” took place there, a kind of secret cult with which the rebirth of nature was celebrated every year. The rites then attracted thousands of Athenians who made pilgrimages to the city. Thousands of residents now flocked to the coast of the small port town to repeat this rite. Rain temporarily disrupted the celebrations.
The highlight of the Eleusis23 program is the scenic implementation of Johannes Brahms’ “German Requiem”. The “Human Requiem” by director Jochen Sandig and the Berliner Rundfunkchor will be performed at the end of September 2023 in the ancient site of Eleusis. The Austrian director David Haneke wants to make a film based on recordings of the concert.
According to ancient mythology, the entrance to the underworld is located in the ancient site of Eleusis. Hades – the ruler of the underworld – is said to have kidnapped the daughter of the goddess Demeter, who was responsible for the fertility of the earth. Demeter is angry and doesn’t let anything grow anymore. According to mythology, people had nothing to eat. After a long marathon of negotiations, an agreement is reached: the kidnapped daughter was allowed to leave the underworld from time to time and visit her mother Demeter. The goddess Demeter gave in and everything was allowed to bloom again and later be harvested – but only as long as the daughter was with her, the archaeologists explain. According to ancient Greek mythology, this is how the seasons came about.
The port became a graveyard for ships
Eleusis has always been associated with the Greek capital Athens – and has always stood in its shadow. Efforts are now being made to free oneself from this marginal situation and to become more independent. Culture director Mikhail Marmarinos urged people abroad: “Come to Eleusis and try it. It’s worth it”.
Eleusis experienced its last heyday in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As the breadbasket of the region and because of the port, it was one of the most important industrial centers in Greece. Shipbuilding, cement factories, manufacturing and the food industry were in full swing. But then came the downfall: Piraeus and Athens absorbed almost all branches of the economy. The port of Eleusis became a graveyard for ships. Dozens of the wrecks remain today. This is exactly what the city now wants to overcome as European Capital of Culture. “We know it will not be easy,” said the mayor of the dpa.