Issues of Urban Conservation and Collective Memory. The Case of the Asia Minor Post-refugee Urban Neighbourhood Germanika at Nikea, Piraeus, Greece.

Abstract

The paper presents the main findings of a research conducted at an Asia Minor post-refugee urban neighborhood located at the Greater Piraeus Region within the metropolitan area of Athens. The research took place from October 2022 to January 2023. The main findings of the research outline the issue of urban conservation in terms of urban collective memory. The paper explores the contemporary physiognomy of an urban Asia Minor refugee settlement that comes up against dereliction, uncontrolled building activity and demolitions of the old refugee houses. To explain the significance of these settlements, the paper combines literature review and field work. Field work includes original cartographic depiction of the exact location of the remaining refugee houses as well as documentation through original drawings of typical housing units in the area. The aim of the paper is to put in the forefront the issue of declaration in terms of collective memory in cases where the socio-cultural significance counterweights the architectural value of the buildings.