A different Mouseum in Greece

The following interview was made on 2/11/2008 to the journalist George Adamopoulo of the magazine "Mystery". It concerns topics of Atlantis (location, indications), ancient civilizations and mythology, the Greeks, theories about aliens and modern... "intermediate", literature about Atlantis and Santorini, and especially about the Museum of Atlantis that operated until a few years ago in Athens. It is also published on the website: http://www.metafysiko.gr/?p=174

 Museum of Atlantis in Athens!  Author: George Adamopoulos

George Adamopoulos, a member of the Metaphysical Community and the new meta-network's effort, discovered the existence of an Atlantis Museum in Athens and closed a very interesting interview with its founder, Mr. Paschos Theodoros. It is published for the first time and exclusively for the Greek internet on its website www.metafysiko.gr/?p=174

1. Mr. Paschos, you are a researcher with vast experience on the subject of Lost Atlantis and the theories that have been developed around it. How did you decide to take up the subject?

My first contact with the mysterious island was while reading - I was a student at the time - the famous books "The Mysterious Island" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne. I have been systematically involved with Atlantis since the time I was studying at the ASETEM-SELETE school in 1978-79. I was in my first year of school, a mechanical engineer, when I first read my father Vassilis's book "The Atlanteans, Mr. Dainiken and Not the Gods", which had just been published. Since then I started to be actively involved, learning from my father and taking his passion with this beautiful subject. I was present in all the moments of the research and the museum. Later, when my father passed away in 1993, I was elected director of the museum to continue the work until 2000, where I published my website www.atlantida.gr and later became atlanteans.gr.

 2. Tell us more about the Atlantis Museum. When was it founded?

The Atlantis Museum was founded in August 1981 and was initially privately owned by my father Vassilios Paschos. Then my father drew up a plan for the operation of the Atlantis Museum, which was approved and its intellectual property was secured by the competent services.
In 1982, the Museum was asked for its financial support by the Ministry of Culture (with Melina Mercouri as its minister at the time) and this was answered in a letter that in order to meet the financial and administrative demands of the Atlantis Museum, it had to become a union. Following the advice of this Ministry, at the end of 1982, the Atlantis Museum Promotion Association was established by 21 members, with the approval of the multi-member first instance court of Athens. I participated in the first temporary steering committee elected by 21 members, chaired by my father and then elected a member of the first board of directors of the association, in the first regular general assembly, chaired again by my father. Since then I have been continuously elected to the council. In January 1993, the founder of the Museum, Vassilis Paschos, passed away and I was elected president and all the members encouraged me to continue the operation of the museum, a fact that took place until 2000.

3. Have you ever asked for / received the help of the state or an individual for your efforts regarding the Museum? And if not, why not seek state or municipal support? Do you think it could be given today?

Although the Ministry of Culture recommended that an association be set up so that the Museum could be legally strengthened, in the end it did not strengthen it at all, not even symbolically. Of course, many promises were made, but practically nothing. For example, a promise was made in 1985 that the Ministry of Culture decided to support it financially, in fact the department head in charge even told us the amount that was satisfactory. In the end, however, this fund was not given, it changed course because from what we were informed, it went to the expenses of the European Capital of Culture.

4. May be help from an individual?

There was no aid from public or private institutions, neither in money nor in housing or donation of exhibits. Proceeds came from the members of the association but many individuals individually donated to the museum, either small financial support or offers on exhibits: paintings, metal cabinets, books, showcases, closets and more. For each donation, the corresponding certificate was given and written in the donation book that had been opened.

Mr. Theod. Passion in front of exhibits of the Atlantis Museum in Athens.