Spyridon Mercouris (; 1856–1939) was a Greek politician and long-serving

mayor of Athens The mayor of Athens is the head of Athens#municipality of Athens, Athens. The current mayor is Haris Doukas who assumed office on 1 January 2024. Kingdom of Greece (1832–1924) Second Hellenic Republic (1924–1935) Kingdom of Greece (1935 ...

in the early 20th century. He was born in Ermioni, Argolida, in 1856 to a prominent and wealthy family that had taken part in the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...

in the 1820s. He was the son of Georgios Mercouris, captain and son of Spyridon Mercouris, and Theodora (or Theodota) Mitsas, daughter of the chieftain of the Greek revolution and later MP of Ermionida and authorized representative in national assemblies Stamatis Mitsas, and sister of the military and also MP of Ermionida Antonios Mitsas. Through the Mitsa family, he was a close by marriage relative of the historical Zakynthian family of the Motsenigos. The Mercouri were an Arvanite family, originating in Argolida. Elected as mayor of

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

in 1899, he held the post continuously until 1914. As a committed conservative royalist, in summer 1917, during the National Schism, he was exiled to

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by the Venizelists. He was also accused of complicity in the riots of the '' Noemvriana'' of 1916, he was tried and sentenced to death in 1919. He was released from prison in 1920 after the win of the antivenizelists. He was elected as a Member of Parliament representing Atticoboeotia in 1928 and re-elected as Mayor of Athens in 1929. He served as mayor until 1932, and died in 1939. His sons Stamatis and George served as members of the Greek Parliament (MP) and cabinet ministers, whilst his granddaughter Melina Mercouri was an award-winning actress who later was elected an MP and served as the Greek Minister of Culture and Science.

References

1856 births 1939 deaths People from Ermionida Greek MPs 1928–1932 Mayors of Athens Date of birth missing Date of death missing Place of birth missing Place of death missing Greek exiles Greek prisoners sentenced to death Prisoners sentenced to death by Greece Arvanites {{Greece-mayor-stub