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Charles Diehl's Thessaloniki – The 45th Book Festival has concludedtranslated

July 8, 2026 · 1 min read

The program of the thematic activities of the 45th Thessaloniki Book Festival, which this year was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, was completed with the event organized by the "BYZANTINE THESSALONIKI" non-profit organization on Sunday, July 5. AmKE participated in the Festival as one of its co-organizers, actively contributing to the success of this year's event. The event was held in collaboration with the Municipality of Thessaloniki - Central Municipal Library and the Thessaloniki Book Festival and was dedicated to Charles Diehl (1859–1944), one of the most important French historians and founders of modern Byzantine studies.

The goal of the organizers was to highlight to the general public the face and work of Charles Diehl, his contribution to the acquaintance of the European intellectual with Byzantine culture and the decisive role he played in the emergence of Thessaloniki as one of the most important cities of the Byzantine Empire. While trying to provoke a fruitful reflection on the timeless identity of the city and the way in which it can be projected...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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Николай Атанасов

Interesting that they focused on Charles Diehl - I didn't know that he contributed so much to seeing the importance of Thessalonica in Byzantium. It is good that they introduced it to the general public and not only to specialists. Maybe next time they will do something about the Bulgarian connection with Thessaloniki, we were still close.

Марина Волкова

It’s interesting that Diehl was chosen - I also didn’t know how much he helped Europe understand the role of Thessaloniki in Byzantium. It’s good that his work was shown to ordinary people, and not just scientists. And the Bulgarian theme, Nikolay, probably could really be added next time, since the city is common.

Alexandre Laurent

It’s true that Diehl really put Thessaloniki on the Byzantine map, I didn’t know that either. The idea of presenting it to the general public and not just to historians is a good one, especially in a city which keeps so many traces of this era. For the Bulgarian part, why not, but I would first prefer that we talk a little more about the saints and churches here, it affects our parish life more directly.