According to a green envelope discovered in the General State Archives and which was entitled Akropolis Von Athen, under the title Koenigreich Griechenland, the efforts for the return of the Acropolis marbles stolen from Greece began during the reign of King Otto.
A report in Ta Nea reveals that the folder containing 223 documents covers the period between 1834 and 1842, when the newly established Greek State made its first official requests for the return of the Parthenon marbles which Lord Elgin removed during the Turkish Occupation.
The case file contains reports on the restoration efforts that were being planned, along with assessments on the damages and interventions on the ancient monuments, as well as the Greek government’s efforts to reclaim the stolen goods.
The file, along with other important findings, will be displayed at the Eugenides Foundation, where an exhibition celebrating 100 years of the General State Archives, which itself covers the past 500 years in Greece.
