Demetrius Vikelas Greek merchant, poet, philologist. Country: Greece

1. Biography of Demetrius Vikelas
2. President of the International Olympic Committee
3. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Demetrius Vikelas

Demetrius Vikelas was a Greek businessman, poet, and philologist. He was born in the city of Ermoupolis on the island of Syros, Greece. His father was from Constantinople and his mother was from Odessa. Due to his weak health, he received irregular education during his childhood. Demetrius often visited relatives in Constantinople, Taganrog, and Odessa during his childhood. He had a passion for foreign languages, literature, and art, and began translating works. His father, a grain trader, tried to involve him in the business, but in 1851 his company went bankrupt. In search of work, Demetrius traveled to Italy, then France, and at the age of 17, he moved to London, where he started working for his uncle's firm as an accountant and later became a full-fledged business partner. The family business brought in a good income. In London, Vikelas met and befriended Harilaos Trikoupis, the son of the Greek ambassador and future Prime Minister of Greece. With financial independence, Vikelas was able to pursue his passion. Soon, his translations of Jean Racine's "Esther" and Goethe's "Faust" were published in Greek. Vikelas also published a scientific treatise titled "Byzantium and Modern Greece" and a collection of tales called "Tales of the Aegean Sea." Thanks to his works, Vikelas gained great recognition in his homeland.

President of the International Olympic Committee

In the early 1870s, Vikelas moved to Paris. In 1877, he published a brochure titled "School in the Village," where he advocated for universal education in Greece. Vikelas delivered lectures and published works on the achievements of ancient and modern Greece, becoming well-known in many European countries. In 1894, Vikelas represented the All-Greek Athens Club at a congress organized by his friend Pierre de Coubertin in Paris. During the congress, a decision was made to establish the modern Olympic movement. Vikelas presented a report on the ancient Olympic Games, which was written for him by one of his compatriots.

Initially, Coubertin proposed to hold the first new Olympic Games in Paris in 1900, but Vikelas persuaded him and the newly formed International Olympic Committee that the Games should be held in Athens, symbolizing the continuity with the ancient Greek Olympic Games. As the constitution of the IOC at that time required the president to be a representative of the country hosting the next Olympic Games, Demetrius Vikelas was elected as the first president of the IOC. Thanks to Vikelas' personal connections and influence, numerous problems faced by the organizers of the Games were resolved. The organizers feared that if they waited until 1900, society would lose interest in the Games. Therefore, the first Olympiad took place in 1896 and was a great success. After its conclusion, Vikelas stepped down as president of the IOC and returned to studying the issues of education and upbringing that had always interested him.

Later Years and Legacy

Vikelas was so inspired by the success of the Games in Athens that at the Second Olympic Congress in 1897 in Hvar, he proposed that the Olympic Games be permanently held in Greece. This idea was strongly opposed by the majority of delegates, including Coubertin. Vikelas distanced himself from the Olympic movement and focused entirely on realizing his creative ideas. In 1904, he organized a congress on education in Athens. The last time Vikelas met with his former colleagues from the International Olympic Committee was in Brussels at the Third Olympic Congress, where he was a specially invited guest.

Demetrius Vikelas passed away on July 20, 1908, in Athens, at the age of 73. His contributions to the revival of the Olympic Games and his dedication to education and culture remain an important part of his legacy.