Migration in Greece: The Last Men of Antikythera

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The only hotelier on Antikythera is already of retirement age and does not live permanently on the island.

Photo: Jonas Berndt

In the beginning it's just a flickering on the horizon.

Then a reflection, a warm ray of sunshine returning across the sea.

Finally, the ship moves closer and closer, until it soon presses against the concrete wall at the pier with a roar.

This is how the photographer Jonas Berndt describes the regular sign for the inhabitants of Antikythera that their home is not yet forgotten.

A ferry only visits the island's wharf for a few short minutes a few times a week, even to say the word port would be an exaggeration.

For the captains, the 20 square meter small island is just a stopover on the way from Piraeus to Crete and vice versa.

For the approximately 20 residents it is much more.

Antikythera is an island of old people, especially old men.

Those who still live here permanently have often always done so or were sent here by the government at some point, like the policeman.

There are hardly any young adults, and when a family with three children came a few years ago, the administration, which itself is located on the next larger island, first had to see whether there was a teacher at all.

Today Anastasia, Stamatia and Iakovos are taught together, in one room, by one person.

But if you are young and looking for work in Greece, you will hardly stay on such an island.

He or she usually goes to the mainland or, as in the past 15 years, simply abroad.

Work is still scarce in Greece, often poorly paid, and when it does exist, it is rarely on Antikythera.

The island is north of Crete away from the tourist crowds, a bit windy and isolated.

What is happening here on a small scale actually affects the whole country.

In 1900, an old device with gears and dials, half antique computer, half astronomical clock, was found here off the coast.

The "Antikythera Mechanism" was a miracle that showed that the ancient Greeks 2,000 years ago were even smarter than anyone had ever thought.

Today it is in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

The inhabitants of the island were only left with the beautiful nickname and a Wikipedia article in 65 languages.

Antikythera has already achieved more than many Greek islands in a comparable location.

And yet it will hardly be enough to survive.

A few years ago, the residents themselves tried to ignite a miracle to save their island.

They promised every family that settles on Antikythera a welcome bonus of 500 euros a month.

The idea went around the world, and unsolicited applications are still piling up in the Google Map ratings of the island.

The photographer Jonas Berndt also found out about the island in this way and decided to visit it.

On the spot, after a day's journey from Athens, he then found out everything that hadn't been in the newspaper: the applicants should be interested in agriculture or fishing, perhaps, as the islanders explained, there would also be more material support than money .

Berndt soon noticed on his own that it could also be useful to already be able to speak Greek.

To this day, he says, he hasn't met any other foreigners like him on Antikythera.

The miracle didn't happen.

For this, Berndt himself returned several times, more often than expected, only slowed down by the pandemic.

At first he communicated with a note that someone spontaneously wrote for him.

It was the same later.

With his analogue Mamiya c330 camera, he slowly and old-fashionedly documented life on the island.

"Twenty" was the project name of his work, reflecting the modest size and population of Antikythera.

The square format also reflects the narrowness and limitations of the isolated island, says Berndt.

This was not important for the old residents, they were much more happy about the interest.

Sometimes they wondered too.

In the end, the mayor said that the photographer was always welcome back.

And then: "Bring your friends!"

Here's how the people of Antikythera live, work and struggle with their future:

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