National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Established on May 3, 1837, the University of Athens initially occupied a renovated Ottoman building on the northeast side of the Acropolis. Today, this building is renovated and serves as the University Museum. Initially named the “Othonian University” after Greece’s first king, Otto, the institution comprised 4 academic Departments and enrolled 52 students. As the first University in the newly formed Greek state and the broader Balkan and Mediterranean regions, it assumed a significant socio-historical role, shaping the production of knowledge and culture within the country.

In 1841, the University’s administrative offices and academic Departments relocated to the now widely recognized “central building” of the University of Athens. Until 1925-1926, the University of Athens was the only university in Greece. In 1932, the University was officially named as National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, in honor of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of Greece after the liberation of the nation. Its forecourt (the propylaea) has acquired socio-historical value, serving as a site for political gatherings, social protest and demonstrations by students and other social groups advocating for social rights. Today, the majority of the university’s facilities are located in the Zografou University Campus.