LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Melina Mercouri: British Museum
built 646 days ago
Melina Mercouri was one of the fighters in the resistance against the Greek military regime during 1967 to 1974. When the regime had passed, she returned to Greece and got more and more involved in politics. She was appointed to Minister of Culture for over eight years, during which time she is known for her efforts to return the marbles of the Parthenon (now in the possession of the British Museum in London) to Athens.
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Using her own splendour and glamour, Melina Mercouri managed to make culture part of everyday lives in Greece, a front page story in the newspapers and big news in radio and television. During her years of office at the Ministry of Culture, she campaigned for the return to Greece of the Parthenon's marbles, kept in the British Museum in London. They are the masterpieces that were acquired in disputed circumstances at the beginning of 19th century by Lord Elgin, then the British ambassador to Constantinople (now Istanbul).
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After the collapse of the dictatorship in 1974, Melina Mercouri returned to Greece where she entered into politics. First Parliamentary deputy, she rose to the position of Minister of Culture from 1981 to 1989. During her mandate, she fought especially for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, stored at the British Museum in London.
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Melina Mercouri was appointed the Greek Minister of Culture, a role which she played with all of her heart. Melina was instrumental in raising awareness of the plight of the Parthenon Marbles and actively lobbied for their return to Greece long before such "repatriation" of objects from any foreign museum was considered achievable.
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The idea for the institution of Museums of Contemporary Art began in a conference held in 1986 by the cherished and memorable Melina Mercouri. Mercouri conceived and supported the idea and took it upon herself until its fruition.
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