The Academy of Athens’ Reply to the Dictatorship of 1967

In 1972 the Dictatorship attempted to abolish the independence of the Academy of Athens, under the pretext of modernizing and reorganizing it. In its response to the relevant Questionnaire that it received, the Academy defended its independence: it did not enter into negotiations with the regime, but restricted itself to merely restating its purpose and to developing its destiny:

"The Academy… feels the need to boldly declare that its work to date is only partly the result of its members' personal labour; it is also due to the autonomy and independence that its founders gave it… This autonomy and independence guarantee the continued election of new members according to the principles of science and freedom of conviction. It is mainly through these new members that this House of the Spirit continues to be renewed and 'updated."