Υπήρξε ένας από τους σημαντικότερους οικονομικούς παράγοντες της Κωνσταντινούπολης και ιδιαίτερος τραπεζίτης τριών σουλτάνων της εποχής του. Διέπρεψε ως εθνικός ευεργέτης, στήριξε ιδιαίτερα την ελληνική παιδεία με τη χρηματοδότηση και ίδρυση σχολείων και το όνομά του συνδέθηκε στενά με την κίνηση για την προαγωγή και τη διάδοση των ελληνικών γραμμάτων. Οι γενναίες δωρεές που προσέφερε στον τομέα των επιστημών, συνέβαλαν αποφασιστικά στη μόρφωση των υπό οθωμανικό ζυγό κυρίως ελληνικών πληθυσμών.
Biographical information
He was born in the village of Kestorati in the province of Argyrokastro in Northern Epirus on December 6, 1820. He was the son of a wealthy and commercial family, as his father Victor was a merchant in Constantinople. He learned his first letters in his hometown and continued his studies at the Zosimaia School for two years from 1832 to 1833 with teachers Kranas and Sakellarios. Immediately afterwards he went to Constantinople, where he initially worked close to his father who had settled there.
Ήδη από τα εφηβικά του χρόνια έδειξε την προτίμησή του στο χρηματιστηριακό-τραπεζιτικό επάγγελμα και σε πολύ νεαρή ηλικία ίδρυσε στον συνοικισμό Γαλατά της Πόλης μία μικρή ιδιωτική τράπεζα μαζί με τον συμπατριώτη του Μιχαήλ Δήμου. Μετά τον θάνατο του συνεταίρου του, η τράπεζα εξακολούθησε τη λειτουργία της επεκτείνοντας συνεχώς την επιχειρηματική της εμβέλεια με αποτέλεσμα να καταστεί σε σύντομο χρονικό διάστημα μία από τις κορυφαίες της οθωμανικής πρωτεύουσας, διαθέτοντας υποκατάστημα και στο Παρίσι.
As a banker, Zografos was among the lenders of the Ottoman state and founded the "General Company of the Ottoman State" and the "Constantinople Tramway Company". He was also a member of the committee for the preparation of the Ottoman budget and a personal financial advisor to three sultans: Abdul Aziz, Murad V and Abdul Hamid II.
At the beginning of the second half of the 1950s, the Epirote emigrant had great social prestige and financial standing, and had been repeatedly honored with the highest Ottoman decorations. He was an active member of the Istanbul community and president for a number of years of the "National Joint Council".
Financial support to the Nation
From 1873 onwards, he invested in Greece, giving impetus to stock exchange and banking activities. After the union of Thessaly with Greece in 1881, he bought eleven large estates in the prefectures of Trikala and Karditsa, with a total area of 64,000 acres. Among them was the estate of Lazarina. Together with his sons Georgios and Solonas, he introduced scientific farming, the first steam-powered mill, and developed a modern farm and stables.
In the area of Kiourka (later Zografia), he established a sugar factory, one of the first in the Balkans. It operated from 1895 to 1909, but was closed due to unfair competition and lack of state support.
He actively supported the Church and the spiritual activities of Hellenism. He founded the "Zografeia Didaskalea" in his hometown, covering the expenses of 60 scholarship students. He founded the "Zografeio Hellenic Library" in Constantinople and the famous "Zografeio Gymnasium", which operates to this day.
He supported the Theological School of Halki, the Epirus Association of Constantinople, and the Girls' School of Gjirokastra. He was honorary president of the "Greek Literary Association" and established the "Painting Competitions" in Constantinople, Paris, and Munich.
In 1894 he sent 5,000 drachmas to the Panhellenic Gymnastics Association to support the first Olympic Games. He also provided 25,000 drachmas for charity shops. Despite his benefactions, his family retained a large fortune.
He spent the last twenty years of his life in Paris. He had two sons and three daughters. He died in 1896 and his remains were transferred to the First Cemetery of Athens. He was officially proclaimed a great benefactor of the Nation and the Church.
With the proceeds of the Zografios Endowment and the donation of Meropi Papatheodorou-Kotrotsiou, the Zografios Nursing Home of Ioannina was founded in 2002 and completed in 2010.
Successor status
George Zografos (Istanbul, 1863 – Gjirokastra, 1920), son of Christakis Zografos, was a prominent political figure of the time and distinguished for his contribution to Hellenism in Northern Epirus. He studied law and political science in Paris and Leipzig and initially pursued a career in the Greek diplomatic service.
Διετέλεσε πρέσβης στο Βερολίνο και υπουργός Εξωτερικών επί κυβερνήσεως Θεοτόκη, ενώ έπαιξε καθοριστικό ρόλο στα διπλωματικά ζητήματα των αρχών του 20ού αιώνα. Το 1914 ανέλαβε την Προεδρία της Προσωρινής Κυβέρνησης της Αυτονομίας της Βορείου Ηπείρου με έδρα το Αργυρόκαστρο. Στις 17 Φεβρουαρίου του ίδιου έτους, με την υποστήριξη του ελληνικού πληθυσμού και αντιπροσώπων της τοπικής κοινωνίας, ανακήρυξε την Αυτονομία της Βορείου Ηπείρου, διεκδικώντας ελευθερία και δικαιώματα για τον ελληνικό πληθυσμό της περιοχής.
Georgios Zografos was a symbol of the struggle of the people of Northern Epirus for self-determination and his actions are recognized to this day. He died in 1920 in Gjirokastra and was buried with honors. His name remains inextricably linked to the history and claims of Northern Epirus Hellenism.
