Spiros Mercouris

Spiros Mercouris                                        ΣΠΥΡΟΣ ΜΕΡΚΟΥΡΗΣ 
  

Born 1856                                                     Died 1939

Plaza, Number 66

  Peloponnesian born, Spiros  Mercouris  was  debonair and forward thinking. For almost 20 years he ruled in the capital as mayor and, in the process, changed the face of  the city.   His granddaughter, actress Melina Mercouri, grew up in her grandfather’s home, - a home that was the epicenter of his political and private life.  She adored him and would later write a lasting epitaph: He was love; he was beauty; he was strength, he was glory. He was, if you like, Athens itself. 

 

Although he was not the only politician to have been sentenced to death, he is the only one I know of to have fought a duel. 

His First Term 

  The man who at 43 years of age became mayor and engineered so many changes, began his political career with a disqualification.  He had run for the city council in 1885, came first of all the candidates but was disqualified because he had been the administrator of the Municipal Hospital since 1881. This was deemed by his opponants as a conflict of interest. In 1899, more careful to avoid any such conflicts, Mercouris ran again, this time for mayor, and won.

His opponent had been the experienced politician  Lambros Kallifronas, (ΛάμπροςΚαλλιφρονάς) a man who, as mayor, had successfully navigated Athens through the first modern Olympics in 1896. As was the custom, each candidate was backed by political heavyweights from the national arena, - Kallifronas by conservative  Theodoros Deligiannis and  Mercouris by the liberal Harilaos  Tricoupis. 

 

 

 

“Kallifronas is the old fireplace” (παλαιό τζάκι), Kallifronas proudly proclaimed during the campaign. By this expression he meant that he represented the tried and true old guard of the city. Mercouris turned this against him by agreeing that he was indeed an ‘old fireplace’ – one that smoked and spewed soot! Mercouris ran as the ‘new broom’.

A Decisive Victory

 The election results were 7,785 votes for Mercouris as opposed to 5, 537 votes for Kallifronas.  These voting numbers show what a small city Athens was – or just how few people were involved in the municipal political process. (Remember: then as now, many Athenian residents preferred to cast their votes in their home villages or towns. Whether this as a good or bad thing is a moot point, but it does mean that many people in Greece reside in areas where their voice is not being heard by their local politicians.)

From the day after his election and, indeed, before he was officially inaugurated, the newly elected mayor took on all of the issues and problems of the city. They were serious because of the rapidly growing population. The biggest problems were a lack of water, public health facilities, and public safety. Things had gone so far awry that Athens had to deal with epidemics, - diseases such as typhoid fever and malaria. The new director of public works, Mr. P Protopapadakis  (Π. Πρωτοπαπαδάκης), together with Mercouris, considered refurbishing the old water system first initiated by the Emperor Hadrian  in 140 CE!  (See https://journal.gnest.org/sites/default/files/Submissions/gnest_01874/gnest_01874_proof.pdf  for the amazing story of this aquaduct.)

Mercouris renovated the Athens’ vegetable market, cancelled the existing land registry, and ear-marked 350,000 drachmas for building  healthy and well designed schools while at the same time creating 2,000 more gas lamps to better light the city.  He encouraged the care and supervision of the city's churches with the idea of improving them for the population at large.

He actually walked the streets between Ippokratous Street and Alexandras Avenue, ensuring that each street was properly maintained.  He planted greenery and  initiated the first parks in the city.  The list of his accomplishments is long and the people of Athens were appreciative. The municipality of Athens was changing in spite of the massive problems the city faced. City finances were coming under control and a more dynamic local authority was replacing the old order.  

Still debonair while in office

The Elections of 1903 and His Second Term

In this election, Mercouris’ opponent was K. Angelopoulos (Κ. Αγγελόπουλος.The election was hotly contested. But, again, the voters chose Mercouris. He garnered 10,934 votes to Angelopoulos’ meager 4, 622.  During this second term, more asphalt began to make its appearance on Athenian streets. Mercouris founded a maternity hospital (Δημοτικό Μαιευτήριο)  and managed to find funding for the Municipal Hospital as well.  In 1903 he funded the restoration of the Athenian Treasury at Delphi (by the French School). Very little happened in Athens or about Athens that Spiros Mercouris was not a part of!

Athens during the era of Mercouris

 

Mercouris Goes to Europe

In 1906, Mercouris decided to visit other European cities (Vienna, London, Paris, Munich and Trieste) and experience them for himself. He wanted to know how they solved their problems and to bring back new ideas for Athens.

 The Third Term in 1907

 Angelos Pyrris (Άγγελος Πυρρής) the cloth magnate was Mercouris’ opposition in 1907.  Mercouris’ rallying cry remained what it always had been: ‘work, work’ and ‘the people’.  Pyrris’s  mantra was “change”! The election results were closer this time. Mercouris  garnered 10,694 votes and Pyrris  8,415 (this at a time when the population of Athens numbered approximately 160,000.).  As his third term began, the asphalting  of city roads continued, the Municipal Hospital was completed, and street lighting was installed on many more of Athens’ streets.

 There had been a plan for a new slaughter house, but it was not possible to go forward because of financial difficulties; the same fate awaited a grand plan by the German architect Ludwig Hoffman to change the face of the city.  This last may be considered a blessing in disguise today because Hoffman’s plan called for the destruction of the Byzantine and Ottoman parts of the city, - no Plaka!

Mercouris’ Battle With the Municipal Council

When Mercouris gave orders for the refrigeration of meat in the central meat market, he was vehemently opposed by G Toufexis (Γ. Τουφεξής), a member of the city council who proceeded to offer information to the press about a municipal scandal he was attaching to Mercouris’ name.  Incensed, Mercouris challenged him to a duel!  Luckily, both their shots missed the mark.  

Mercouris’ term should have ended in 1911, but it was extended three years because of the confusion and upset of the Balkan Wars. 

Soldiers’ tents on the Acropolis

 The Municipal Election of 1914 

It seemed as if Mercouris’ political passion had waned during the lead up to this election and the Athenian people welcomed instead the enthusiasm of his new opponent, the wealthy and extremely influential Emmanuel Benakis.  Benakis had impressed the city with his wealth, his red automobile, and his connections. He had the approval of his close friend, the Greek prime minister, Elefterios Venizelos. The result: 11,426 votes for Benakis and only 6,576 votes for Mercouris.

Venizelists vs Royalists and Exile

Then came the conflict between the king and Elefterios Venizelos over whether or not Greece should enter the First World War on the side of the Entente as Venizelos wanted.  Mercouris sided with the royalist faction over Venizelos and, when Venizelos prevailed, Mercouris was exiled to Corsica as an anti-Venizelist. He was even sentenced to death at one point, but was released in 1920. (In Greek politics, being jailed by your opposition could even become a badge of honour!)

A Hiatus, and the Municipal Elections of 1929

Mercouris avoided overt politics until 1928 when he ran and won a seat in the Greek parliament. This was followed in 1929 by another successful bid for mayor of Athens in 1929. During this term Mercouris and Venizelos never hesitated to fight each other over the cost of municipal change during the terrible times of the depression. It was this period that Melina writes about in her book “I Was Born a Greek”.

Defeat in 1934

The rules of the electoral districts changed in 1934 and this put the 78 year old Mercouris at a distinct disadvantage.  He ran third in a field of four, managing only to best the communist candidate.  In this election, women voted for the first time and their turnout would have surely disappointed the women who had fought for the vote. Out of the female population of Athens, only 2,600 women cast their vote. 

A Bust of Spiros Mercouris on Fokianos Negri   by Basos Falireas (Βάσος Φαληρέας)

The End of Spiros but not of the Family

This defeat effectively ended his career. His sons Stamatis and George would carry on. Both served in the Greek parliament.  His granddaughter Melina, who was so influenced by his charisma, became a world renowned award winning actress, a member of parliament, and Greek Minister of Culture and Science under the Pasok government.  This last achievement might have surprised him. He was a man of his times and had told his favorite that she was smart enough to have become anything – if only she had been born a boy.  I hope he would have been pleased.

Reminders of Mercouris in Athens Today

Of course there is a street in Athens named after him. It runs in a northernly direction off Ymittou street which marks the western boundary of the First Cemetery. He left another much more interesting monument on Syngrou Avenue: Agios Sostis.  This building had functioned as the Greek pavilion at the Paris exposition of 1899:

 

The pavilion in Paris

 Mercouris had it brought over to Athens, brick by brick and reassembled:

(131 Syngrou Ave.  (2 blocks from the Ledra Marriot Hotel), τελ 210 933 5460. Open all day every day. In high summer closed from 1-5pm.)

It is quite beautiful and the only church I know of in Greece where the pillars supporting the dome are of delicate and intricate iron:

In a way, it is a fitting tribute to Mercouris who, while he always valued Athenian tradition, was also eager for alterations and changes if they were for the good of his beloved city.

His Grave

Plaza, Number 66 It is a family grave.

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