Project Title: Permanent Museum Exhibition inside Corfu Prisons (1836–2024)
Acronym: CPM (Corfu Prisons Museum)
Coordinator / Supervisor: Associate Professor Georgios Papaioannou (Director of Museology Research Laboratory)
Type of Funding: Pro Bono / Self-funded Research with State Support
Funding Source: Ministry of Citizen Protection (Printing/Materials) & Ionian University (Scientific Work)
Dates: April 2024 – Permanent
Project overview:
Since April 2024, the permanent museum exhibition “Corfu Prisons 1836–2024” has been open to the public. The exhibition is organized by the Museology Research Laboratory of the Ionian University in collaboration with the Ministry of Citizen Protection and the Lazareto Association, and is hosted inside the Corfu Prisons, presenting their history from their foundation in 1836 to the present day. The Corfu Prisons constitute a monument of modern political history, as political prisoners were imprisoned and tortured there during critical periods of the Greek state, including the Metaxas dictatorship, the Civil War, the post-Civil War era, and the military junta of the Colonels. The prison complex is also an important architectural monument, designed in a radial layout inspired by the 19th-century Panopticon prison model. In 1988, the Corfu Prisons were officially designated as a preserved monument, while in 2017 a Second Chance School was established within the prison. In the same year, the use of nine disciplinary cells located on the ground floor was abolished and the spaces were transformed into a site of historical memory. During the Civil War, these cells were known as “Golgotha”, as condemned prisoners were isolated there on the night before their execution at Lazareto Island. In 2017, the Museology Research Laboratory of the Ionian University implemented the first museum exhibition in these cells entirely without remuneration and developed a comprehensive proposal for the transformation of Corfu Prisons into a contemporary museum and a publicly accessible site of historical memory and culture. Since then, the Laboratory has continuously undertaken cultural and research initiatives related to Corfu Prisons, always without financial compensation for any of the participants, motivated by a strong sense of ethical commitment and social contribution. One of these initiatives is the current permanent exhibition. The cost of printing and exhibition materials was covered by the Ministry of Citizen Protection, while the construction of the display cases was carried out by an inmate of Corfu Prisons. According to the Director of the Museology Research Laboratory, Associate Professor Georgios Ap. Papaioannou, this exhibition constitutes the first museum exhibition hosted inside a functioning correctional facility in Greece. For this reason, visits require special procedures and preparation, which are undertaken by the Museology Research Laboratory in cooperation with the prison administration. This is a cultural initiative addressed to everyone, both inside and outside the prison walls. Visitors enter the prison to encounter a space that opens a window to culture, democracy, and freedom. The exhibited objects include handicrafts, books, documents, photographs, and letters of political prisoners. Most items originate from the family archive of the late Apostolos Papaioannou, a political prisoner detained in Corfu Prisons during the military junta. The exhibition has a dynamic character, as exhibits will be regularly renewed as new material is collected through the ongoing activities of the Museology Research Laboratory. In his call for the collection of new material, Professor Papaioannou emphasized: “We collect and research stories, objects, and narratives. This permanent exhibition, inaugurated on April 21st as a cultural and democratic response to the dark anniversary of the dictatorship, marks the beginning of extensive work so that history may turn its course and Corfu Prisons may be transformed into a place of historical memory and culture. We want this—and we will achieve it. We contribute material from our family archive and invite anyone who holds testimonies related to Corfu Prisons to contact us so that they may be brought to light.
Visiting the Exhibition
Those interested in visiting the exhibition must contact the Museology Research Laboratory of the Ionian University in advance by email at 📧 corfuprisonsmuseum@ionio.gr
In their email, visitors must include:
– Full names
– ID card or passport numbers
– Preffered visit date
The requested visit date must be at least 10 days after the email submission
As the exhibition operates inside Corfu Prisons, visitors are informed that:
1. They will enter the prison accompanied by a researcher from the Museology Research Laboratory, who provides the guided tour free of charge and without any gratuity.
2. Upon entry, and without exception, visitors must leave mobile phones, electronic devices, bags, and metal objects at the prison entrance. Secure lockers are available for this purpose.
Visitors who wish to support the operation of the exhibition or the Corfu Prisons may contact the Museology Research Laboratory for further information.