Konstantinos TH. Dimaras

Konstantinos Theseos Dimaras was born in Athens on May 21, 1904, and passed away in Paris on February 18, 1992. He was a critic and historian of modern Greek literature and the foremost scholar of the Greek Enlightenment. He initially began his studies in medicine but later enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy in Athens and eventually earned a degree from the University of Thessaloniki, which also awarded him a doctorate in Philology. His academic publications began in 1926. He collaborated with numerous publications, such as the newspapers "Ellinika Grammata" and "Proia," but primarily with the newspaper "To Vima" and the magazine "Nea Estia." His life's work, "History of Modern Greek Literature" (first published in 1948), synthesizes known and unknown elements, documenting the journey of modern Greek literature, interpreting it, and placing it within a European context. His last major work was "Konstantinos Paparrigopoulos: His Era, His Life, His Work," which reexamines the work of the great historian from a new perspective and explores his role in shaping modern Greek mentalities. He served as the general director of the State Scholarships Foundation from its inception in 1951 and as the managing director of the National (then Royal) Research Foundation from its establishment in 1961. He was removed from both positions by the dictatorial regime in 1967 and accepted an invitation from the University of Sorbonne to teach the Chair of Modern Greek Literature and to direct the Modern Greek Institute. He held these positions until 1978, when he retired from active service. (Source: Study of Modern Hellenism)