Renowned Byzantine historian Hélène Glykatzi-Ahrweiler has died at the age of 99, marking the passing of one of the most influential Greek scholars of the modern era.
Born in Athens in 1926, Glykatzi-Ahrweiler rose to international prominence through a distinguished academic career in France, becoming a trailblazer for women in higher education.
In 1967, she became the first woman elected president of the History Department at Sorbonne University, before making history again in 1976 as the institution’s first female rector in its 700-year history.
After studying History and Archaeology at the University of Athens, she continued her postgraduate education in France, earning doctorates in History and Arts before joining the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). She was appointed Professor of Byzantine History at the Sorbonne in 1967 and went on to hold numerous senior academic and cultural leadership roles.
Her contributions extended beyond academia. She served on the boards of major cultural institutions, held honorary positions in scholarly associations, and was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador of Greece.
Glykatzi-Ahrweiler received widespread international recognition for her scholarship, including membership in several academies such as the Academy of Athens, as well as honorary doctorates from leading universities across Europe, the United States and Israel.
She is remembered not only as a leading authority on Byzantine history, but as a pioneering figure whose career reshaped the place of women in global academic life.
Source: AMNA.gr
