Greece

Hamburg's connection to Greece

Ηamburg and Greece maintain close business relations, particularly in the key sectors of maritime shipping and logistics, tourism, renewable energies and environmental technologies, as well as agricultural products and foods.

Many Greek shipping companies maintain branches or partnerships in Hamburg to facilitate the transport of goods between Northern Europe and the rest of the world. The Port of Hamburg serves as an important import gateway for Greek goods (such as olive oil, wine and marble) and as a transit hub for Greek merchant ships. Hamburg imports agricultural products and foodstuffs from Greece, which are distributed throughout Germany and Northern Europe via the Hanseatic city's logistics network.

Both regions are investing in the energy transition. This creates opportunities for technology transfer, joint ventures and EU-funded sustainability projects. Finally, the Greek tourism sector benefits from the strong demand in Germany, with Hamburg Airport being an important starting point for holiday travellers from the entire northern German region.

HamburgAmbassador Prof Julia Iliopoulos-Strangas

Portrait of an older woman with shoulder-length grey hair and a patterned top. — © Panagiotis KONTANAS

Julia Iliopoulos-Strangas, born in Athens, first studied in Athens and then began her academic career with a doctorate at the Faculty of Law at the University of Hamburg, before later taking up a professorship at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She has a large number of publications to her credit, most of them in German. In the course of her career, she has taught as a visiting professor in Hamburg, Strasbourg and Paris, among other places, and has given numerous guest lectures worldwide.

In addition to her former work as a judge at the UN Committee against Torture (CAT), the internationally orientated lawyer is involved in numerous associations, research groups and committees on issues of constitutional law, social law, human rights and ethics. With her extensive work, she has built bridges between different legal systems.

Her son, Panos Iliopoulos, was also born in her adopted home of Hamburg. She was recently honoured together with her husband, Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Constantinos Iliopoulos, retired judge of the EU Court of Justice, was recently awarded an honorary doctorate (Dr h.c.) from the University of Hamburg.

Expertise for Hamburg

A woman is being interviewed by a reporter and filmed by two cameramen in a bright indoor setting. — © Hamburg1

Julia Iliopoulos-Strangas is a passionate bridge-builder with excellent contacts to German and Greek academic and cultural institutions. She is the initiator of an exchange programme between the Faculty of Law in Athens and the Faculty of Law in Hamburg, from which a number of students have benefited for several years. At the same time, many prospective lawyers from Greece have been able to complete a postgraduate or doctoral programme in Hamburg on her recommendation and mediation. In Greece, she promoted academic exchange with German law by organising numerous lectures and guest lectures by Hamburg professors and by intensifying cooperation between German and Greek specialist publishers.

Julia Iliopoulos-Strangas has also promoted cultural exchange between the Hanseatic city and the Hellenic country through her many years on the board of the New Acropolis Museum, which opened in 2009, not least by organising and facilitating museum visits for groups of Hamburg students and Hamburg politicians.