Flampouro (Florina)
Encyclopedia
Flampouro is a village in the central part of Florina
prefecture, northern Greece
, part of the Perasma
municipality. The original indigenous name for the village of Flambouro is Negovani and means "cold water" (known for its pure mineral water source) The village's year round population is estimated at 500 people, but in the summer it grows to nearly 700. In the surrounding area many other villages can be found, including Aetos
, Skopia, Kato Idroussa, and Ano Idroussa.
and other villages from Mastorohoria (a region around Mount Gramos) in Epirus. The villagers were Albanians
and they settled in an area of West Macedonia that was almost exclusively populated by indigenous (endopi) Macedonians. There are now three villages in the area that were exclusively settled by Arvanites. They are Drosopigi, Flambouro, and Lechovo. In 1842, leading families from Plikati, Epirus purchased the land and forest after negotiating with Osman Ismael Pasha, the Bey from Florina. The village was inhabited many families. The total population at 1900 had reached 1,880.
The Villages of Flambouro and Drosopiyi were some of the very first villages in its area to have underground tunnels for the Greek Revolutionaries during the Greek Struggle for Macedonia
. Many great revolutionaries stopped at Flambouro as place to heal, rest, or hide. The Hellenic Army leader who most symbolized the Macedonian Struggle, Pavlos Melas
, other army leaders, and their troops, used these underground tunnels for a quick escape from their enemies. In addition, there were men from the village who fought for a free Greek Macedonia and actually captured a Bulgarian general at the time. Legend has it that the head of this general was cut off and brought back to the village so that Pavlos Melas could see it. This is when the village wa salso known proudly as Flambouro (also meaning bright Greek flag).
When the World War II hit Europe, Greece suffered a lot, as did Flambouro. In the Battle of Greece
(6–30 April 1941), the country faced three Axis powers: Nazi Germany
, the Kingdom of Italy
and the Kingdom of Bulgaria
. Their alliance won the conflict and established an Axis occupation of Greece. The men of Flambouro went on to fight Nazi occupation as the women took control of the village and defended it also. Following the German devastation of Flambouro, the people of the village set out to rebuild it to its original glory. From April 1944 till April 1947 the villagers was rebuilt. The end of World War II
was followed in Greece by the Greek Civil War
between the Democratic Army of Greece
and the Hellenic Army
. In the first stages of the civil war many communist-led guerrillas stopped at the village as a hiding place. On April 7, 1947, the Greek government under Dimitrios Maximos
adopted a policy of forced relocation for certain villages that were strategic for the guerrillas. Luckily, the village of Flambouro was already loyal and occupied by the Hellenic Army, however, many children were sent to communist countries such as Poland
, Romania
, Czechoslovakia
, and the USSR as refugees. These children were known as Flambouro's lost generation. Other village natives fled with the aid of the Truman Doctrine
to the United States
in hope to find job to send money to the rest of their families.
In the 1950s and 1960s a new era was coming about in Greece, it was the time of moving. Many families, because of economic conditions, from all around Greece started to emigrate, becoming part of the Greek diaspora. Individuals and families who emigrated from Flambouro mostly went to the United States, Canada, West Germany, and Australia in search of a new life. Some went with the intention to make money and return, but many did not return to Greece and left their villages in their past.
At present, the cities of Rochester
, (New York State) and Adelaide
(South Australia
) have the largest concentration of immigrants and families that trace their roots from Flambouro. Many people still visit Flambouro to this day and always keep it their hearts as many Flambouryiotes (people from Flambouro) say. The village today also has a hotel where many Greeks from other regions of Greece come to the Florina region for camping, relaxation and an appreciation for the wonderful nature of Macedonia. There are still people who live there but not as many as there were in 1900's.
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
prefecture, northern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, part of the Perasma
Perasma
Perasma is a village and a former municipality in Florina peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Florina, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located in a plain, 6 km southeast of Florina...
municipality. The original indigenous name for the village of Flambouro is Negovani and means "cold water" (known for its pure mineral water source) The village's year round population is estimated at 500 people, but in the summer it grows to nearly 700. In the surrounding area many other villages can be found, including Aetos
Aetos, Florina
Aetos is a village and a former municipality in Florina peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Amyntaio, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 18 km southeast of Florina...
, Skopia, Kato Idroussa, and Ano Idroussa.
History
The original village was established in the 1840s by villagers (mostly masons and other tradesmen) who came from PlikatiPlikati
Plikati a village in the Ioannina peripheral unit in Greece and the municipal unit of Mastorochoria. It is one of the northernmost villages in Epirus. Its 2001 population was 150 for the village. The GR-20 , the old road is approximately 2 km northwest.The village is elevated at 1,240 m on...
and other villages from Mastorohoria (a region around Mount Gramos) in Epirus. The villagers were Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
and they settled in an area of West Macedonia that was almost exclusively populated by indigenous (endopi) Macedonians. There are now three villages in the area that were exclusively settled by Arvanites. They are Drosopigi, Flambouro, and Lechovo. In 1842, leading families from Plikati, Epirus purchased the land and forest after negotiating with Osman Ismael Pasha, the Bey from Florina. The village was inhabited many families. The total population at 1900 had reached 1,880.
The Villages of Flambouro and Drosopiyi were some of the very first villages in its area to have underground tunnels for the Greek Revolutionaries during the Greek Struggle for Macedonia
Greek Struggle for Macedonia
The Macedonian Struggle was a series of social, political, cultural and military conflicts between Greeks and Bulgarians in the region of Ottoman Macedonia between 1904 and 1908...
. Many great revolutionaries stopped at Flambouro as place to heal, rest, or hide. The Hellenic Army leader who most symbolized the Macedonian Struggle, Pavlos Melas
Pavlos Melas
Pavlos Melas was an officer of the Hellenic Army, and he was among the first who organized and participated in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia....
, other army leaders, and their troops, used these underground tunnels for a quick escape from their enemies. In addition, there were men from the village who fought for a free Greek Macedonia and actually captured a Bulgarian general at the time. Legend has it that the head of this general was cut off and brought back to the village so that Pavlos Melas could see it. This is when the village wa salso known proudly as Flambouro (also meaning bright Greek flag).
When the World War II hit Europe, Greece suffered a lot, as did Flambouro. In the Battle of Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
(6–30 April 1941), the country faced three Axis powers: Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
and the Kingdom of Bulgaria
Kingdom of Bulgaria
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was established as an independent state when the Principality of Bulgaria, an Ottoman vassal, officially proclaimed itself independent on October 5, 1908 . This move also formalised the annexation of the Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia, which had been under the control...
. Their alliance won the conflict and established an Axis occupation of Greece. The men of Flambouro went on to fight Nazi occupation as the women took control of the village and defended it also. Following the German devastation of Flambouro, the people of the village set out to rebuild it to its original glory. From April 1944 till April 1947 the villagers was rebuilt. The end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was followed in Greece by the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
between the Democratic Army of Greece
Democratic Army of Greece
This article is based on a translation of an article from the Greek Wikipedia.The Democratic Army of Greece , often simply abbreviated to its initials DSE , was the army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War, 1946–1949...
and the Hellenic Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
. In the first stages of the civil war many communist-led guerrillas stopped at the village as a hiding place. On April 7, 1947, the Greek government under Dimitrios Maximos
Dimitrios Maximos
Dimitrios E. Maximos was a Greek banker and politician. He briefly served as Prime Minister of Greece after World War II.Maximos was born in 1873 in Patras. He began his career in banking. Between 1933 and 1935, he became Foreign Minister of the government of Panagis Tsaldaris. He was Prime...
adopted a policy of forced relocation for certain villages that were strategic for the guerrillas. Luckily, the village of Flambouro was already loyal and occupied by the Hellenic Army, however, many children were sent to communist countries such as Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, and the USSR as refugees. These children were known as Flambouro's lost generation. Other village natives fled with the aid of the Truman Doctrine
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was a policy set forth by U.S. President Harry S Truman in a speech on March 12, 1947 stating that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to prevent their falling into the Soviet sphere...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in hope to find job to send money to the rest of their families.
In the 1950s and 1960s a new era was coming about in Greece, it was the time of moving. Many families, because of economic conditions, from all around Greece started to emigrate, becoming part of the Greek diaspora. Individuals and families who emigrated from Flambouro mostly went to the United States, Canada, West Germany, and Australia in search of a new life. Some went with the intention to make money and return, but many did not return to Greece and left their villages in their past.
At present, the cities of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, (New York State) and Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
(South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
) have the largest concentration of immigrants and families that trace their roots from Flambouro. Many people still visit Flambouro to this day and always keep it their hearts as many Flambouryiotes (people from Flambouro) say. The village today also has a hotel where many Greeks from other regions of Greece come to the Florina region for camping, relaxation and an appreciation for the wonderful nature of Macedonia. There are still people who live there but not as many as there were in 1900's.
Notable people
- Papa Kristo NegovaniPapa Kristo NegovaniPapa Kristo Negovani, born Kristo Harallambi, and also known as Kristo Negovani was an Albanian nationalist igure, religious leader and writer-Life:...
, AlbanianAlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
religious leader and writer - Georgios Steridis, guerrilla leader of the Greek Struggle for MacedoniaGreek Struggle for MacedoniaThe Macedonian Struggle was a series of social, political, cultural and military conflicts between Greeks and Bulgarians in the region of Ottoman Macedonia between 1904 and 1908...
.
Sources
- Edited and Translated from the Florina Prefecture Historical Society