School for the Blind - Leof. Vasilissis Olgas 32

Superb building but needs repairs. An important project is being offered.

Amazing building, it needs to be maintained urgently.

The work that is being done is very important. The building could be improved and made better for all visitors.

KEAT, formerly the "House of the Blind", was founded in 1906 by G. Drosini and D. Vikela, at the expense of the Abet brothers. The original purpose was to protect the blind. Until 1979 he was a charity with the President of the Archbishop of Athens. After fierce battles of the blind, in 1979 he became a Legal Entity under Public Law (under Presidential Decree 265 / 17-4-79, Government Gazette 74 / 17-4-1979) and was renamed the Center for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind. It is overseen and sponsored by the Ministry of Labor, Social Security & Welfare (PD 85/2012, "Establishment and Renaming of Ministries, Transfer and Abolition of Services" Article 4 "Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Welfare" (GG 141 / 21-6-). 2012 a). In Northern Greece the Foundation for the Protection of the Blind was operating "O HELIOS" - School for the Blind, which in 1947, at the initiative of the charity "Organization for the Protection of the Blind", began to provide educational and social services to people with visual disabilities. Since 2011 (Law 3918/2011, article 44 par. 2, Government Gazette 31 / 02-03-2011) it has been merged with KETAT and operates as a Regional Office / Directorate of Thessaloniki. The purpose and function of the KEAT is defined by Presidential Decree 265 / 17-4-79. Its main goals are the education and training of blind children in all areas of development, their integration from preschool age into the society through the implementation of special programs, with the aim of integrating their personality and social education and gaining their independence. KEAT offers the opportunity to train people with visual impairments at different levels and with a variety of goals. Primary education is provided to preschool children and preschool education to secondary school children.

The mansion that houses the current School for the Blind, is said to have been erected in 1879 in the Hamidye district (or otherwise of the Towers) on behalf of Hafiz Bey, and was located on Mylou Allatini Street, approximately where the current Vasilissis Olgas Street passes. According to another version, the mansion was built according to the plans of the famous architect of the time Xenophon Paionidis and was erected on the site of a small house in 1907, on behalf of Hassan Pristina. After its construction, the building will go through a period of purchase and sale. Despite its initial use as a mansion, over time the building initially housed the Athan. Konstantinidis School of Commerce during the period 1910-1935, while later housed the Agios Stylianos Nursery for the period 1936-1941. During the years of occupation the building was ordered by the German forces who used it until 1944 when they left the city. This was followed by a period of abandonment of the building in the period 1944-1948, during which many moving parts such as windows, doors, tiles, etc. were removed, while in 1947 it suffered irreparable damage from a fire that almost completely destroyed its interior. Then, in 1948, 1/3 held by the Bank of the East became the property of the National Bank of Greece, while the remaining 2/3, which had been under the management of the Greek State since 1946, was donated to the School for the Blind in 1961, and the building in 1980 was declared a protected monument.

It was built in 1879 and is the work of the architect Xenophon Paionidis. X. Paionidis with his works, with features of neoclassicism and eclecticism, has 'marked' the architectural style of Thessaloniki. Architecturally, the villa combines elements of neoclassicism, rococo, baroque and eclecticism. It is a two-storey building, with a semi-basement and impressive decoration. Its special and characteristic feature is the gable on its facade. During World War II it was commanded by the Germans and since 1961 it has hosted the School Blind.