The Finnish Institute at Athens was founded in 1984, as the second Finnish institute abroad. It is an academic institution with a mission to carry out and promote the study of Greek archaeology, history, language and culture from ancient times to the present day.
The Institute carries out its own research projects, including fieldwork, organizes international colloquia and lectures and distributes a scholarly publication series. Furthermore, it arranges introductory courses concerning ancient Greece for undergraduate students, and helps Finnish scholars and students working in Greece. Finally, it organizes cultural events in order to promote the knowledge of Finnish culture in Greece and Greek culture in Finland.
The institute operates in a neoclassical building in the city centre, south of the Acropolis. Nearby are the institutes of Italy, Netherlands, Australia and the other Nordic countries.
The Staff
The Director and the Assistant Director of the Institute are appointed for a period of three years. They are both scholars whose field of research is connected with Greece. The staff also includes an administrator, a research assistant and trainees. The Koroneos building, located in the Gyzi district, to the north of the city centre, employs a secretary, a caretaker and a cleaner.
Björn Forsén
Director
forsen@finninstitute.gr
Antti Lampinen
Assistant Director
lampinen@finninstitute.gr
Maria Martzoukou
Senior Administrator
office@finninstitute.gr
Maria Gourdouba
Research and Office Assistant
memigour@ finninstitute.gr
Trainee
Anu Ketonen
Staff at Koroneos Building
Caretaker: Joakim Stavropoulos
Secretary: Leena Katsantoni
Cleaner: Kamila Riskalla
Staff 1984 –
Directors
1.9.1984 – 31.7.1988 Paavo Castrén
1.8.1988 – 31.7.1992 Jaakko Frösén
1.8.1992 – 31.12.1992 Henrik Lilius
1.1.1993 – 31.7.1995 Gunnar af Hällström
1.8.1995 – 31.7.1997 Kirsti Simonsuuri
1.8.1997 – 31.7.2000 Olli Salomies
1.8.2000 – 31.7.2004 Leena Pietilä-Castrén
1.8.2004 – 31.12.2007 Björn Forsén
1.1.2008 – 30.6.2013 Martti Leiwo
1.9.2013 – 31.12.2017 Jari Pakkanen
1.1.2018 – Björn Forsén
Assistant Directors
1.8.1990 – 31.10.1993 Martti Leiwo
1.1.1994 – 31.7.1997 Petra Pentikäinen [Pakkanen]
1.8.1997 – 31.8.2000 Jari Pakkanen
1.9.2000 – 30.9.2000 Petra Pakkanen
1.10.2000 – 31.7.2003 Marjaana Vesterinen
1.8.2003 – 31.12.2006 Esko Tikkala
1.1.2007 – 31.12.2010 Vesa Vahtikari
1.1.2011 – 31.12.2014 Saara Kauppinen
1.1.2015 – 30.6.2018 Vesa Vahtikari
1.7.2018 – Antti Lampinen
Administrator
1.2.1985 – Maria Martzoukou
Research and office assistant
2000 – Maria Gourdouba
Other employees
1984 – 2003 Koula Papandreou
1992 – 2006 Olga Papadatou
1996 – Joakim Stavropoulos
2000 – Leena Katsantoni
2002 – 2004 Toula Protonotariou
2004 – Kamila Riskalla
2018 – 2019 Sebastian Boulter
The Libraries
Opening times
Mon–Fre 9AM–7PM
address: Kavalloti 7, GR-11742 Athens
tel: +30 210 9249210
fax: +30 210 9216487
http://www.norlib.gr
library@norlib.gr
Nordic Library
The Nordic library is administrated collaboratively by the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish Institutes. The library is located next door to the Finnish Institute. Opened in 1995, the main purpose of the library is to serve scholars and students specialising in ancient studies. The library includes some 40 000 volumes, mainly dealing with the archaeology, culture and history of ancient Greece.
The Head Librarian is Evi Charitoudi and the Assistant Librarian Patrick Talatas.
Reference library of the Institute
The institute itself has a small reference library containing some ancient literature, reference books and modern Finnish and Greek prose. The core of the library consists of books donated by the late Professor of Greek Language and Literature, Henrik Zilliacus.