Visitors to Ano Palaiokarya in the municipality of Pyli, in the Regional Unit of Trikala, will discover a unique folklore museum, housed in the old stone elementary school. The private collection features folklore artifacts with creative exhibits depicting village life, dating back to the 18th century. The driving force behind this effort has been—and continues to be, as work is still underway to complete the building and its surrounding area—Dr. Solon Thanos, a physician and biologist, professor emeritus at the School of Medicine, and director of the Institute of Ophthalmology at the University of Münster – Germany, who hails from Palaiokarya.
Solon Thanos, whom we met at the Folklore Museum, and who spoke to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, was born in Palaiokarya, Trikala, and emigrated to what was then West Germany in 1972. He studied biology and medicine and worked as a researcher at the Universities of Tübingen, Münster, and Montreal, as well as at the Max Planck-Institut in the fields of neurobiology, ophthalmology, and basic research. His research has been recognized with numerous national and international awards (Greece, Europe, America). He has published more than 250 papers in recognized international scientific journals, with over 10,000 citations. For many years, he served as a professor of Ophthalmology and director of the Institute of Experimental Ophthalmology at the University of Münster. However, his love for his village remained constant and strong throughout all those years, which is why, whenever he had a little free time, he would travel to his village to help with its development and to promote initiatives and projects, most often with his own financial contribution.
by A. Zoïs
