Maximos Mansion

What I can see

It is one of the most important neoclassical buildings in the city and its entrance is of Ionic order. It has been visited by prime ministers, members of governments and many foreign leaders. It has also been the prime minister’s office since the early 1980s, something that was officially established in the 1990s and continues to this day. Originally, it was a one-storey building, but there are many later additions, such as the three-storey wing on Vassileos Georgiou II Street. During World War II, a concrete shelter was built on the back side of the plot. After the war, there were plans of Maximos Mansion’s demolition, in order to build an apartment building.

What I can't see

Its construction began as the property of the ship-owner Alexandros Michalinos, but the building was not completed before his death. Its completion was undertaken by Michalino’s widow, Irini, who later married the economist, governor of the National Bank, senator and Prime Minister, Dimitrios Maximos (1873-1955). During World War II, it was commandeered by the Germans and became headquarter of the German Aegean fleet, with the swastika waving on the flagstaff of the building. After the war, it hosted noble guests, with the first being the Turkish president Celal Bayar and then the American ambassador. Previously, Maximos wanted to sell it, in order to have an apartment building erected, a decision that angered Athenians. With Maximos being uncompromising, due to the huge profit he would have, the then mayor Kostas Kotzias made efforts to gather the necessary amount to save the mansion, but in vain. The solution was found in courts with the expropriation of the plot by the state and the simultaneous payment of a smaller, but satisfactory amount for Maximos. During the dictatorship, the building housed the appointed by the regime vice-king, Georgios Zoitakis.

Info

• Address: 19 Herodou Atticou St.

Bibliography