The establishment of the Foundation
The National Research Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos” has been an old objective of Irineos Galanakis, former Metropolitan of the provinces of Kisamos and Selino. It was the result of many years of efforts by the society of Chania and Crete to establish a foundation of national recognition, a centre for research and study of the work and the era of Eleftherios Venizelos, in the hometown of the greatest Greek statesman of the 20th century.It was founded on the 26th of March 2000 on the initiative of the Welfare Foundation “Agia Sofia”, with the support of local church authorities, the Prefecture of Chania, the Municipality of Chania and other Greek and Cretan institutions. The charter of the foundation was signed by 32 founding members. On the 21st of September 2000, the Greek Parliament ratified its charter by law 2841/21-9-2000 and became one of its founding members.
The Foundation premises are located in the residence of Eleftherios Venizelos in Elena Venizelou square in Halepa, Ηania. The residence was built in 1877 and it took its present form in 1927, when Eleftherios Venizelos undertook its thorough renovation. In March 2002, the Greek state assumed the ownership of the Venizelos residence, and then ceded it to the Foundation. Today the Venizelos residence is a museum.
Since November 2005, the Vloom mansion, which has been restored and is located opposite Venizelos residence, accommodates the Administrative and Scientific Services of the Foundation. In August 2007, the building was renamed into “Metropolitan Irineos Galanakis” Mansion, in the honor of the Foundation Chairman.
The Foundation is managed by a 23-member Board of Directors· Nikolaos Emm. Papadakis is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation and Eleni Gardika Katsiadaki is its Scientific Advisor.