Ioannis Pangas

Who was Ioannis Pangas?

Ioannis Pangas or Bangas was a wealthy Greek merchant and philanthropist. He was born in a Greek community in Ottoman Korce.

Though his father Georgios Pangas was also a notable merchant and philanthropist, Ioannis Pangas made his own fortune. He initially moved to Thebes and then to Chalkis. Soon, in order to expand his professional activities, he moved to Cairo and then Romania. At a mature age he settled in Athens. Because of his character and hard-working nature he managed to make a fortune.

In 1889–88 he donated a significant amount of money for the maintenance and expansion of the Greek schools in his home city Korce, where he also established new libraries and donated a huge amount of educational material at his personal expense. Thus, he became one of the main contributors of the Lasso fund, a community fund that supported the foundation and support of Greek cultural institutions in Korce. The Greek Gymnasium of his home town was named Bangas Gymnasium after him.

While living in Athens, he built a luxurious mansion, designed by the German architect Ernst Ziller, at the center of the Greek capital as well as a second manor, also designed by Ziller, adjacent to his home. On 16 August 1889, Pangas donated to the Greek state his fortune and all of his possessions, as an act of philanthropy to aid the rebuilding of Athens and the growth of the new Greek state. He retained only 1,000 drachmas per month in order to lead a decent life. This form of benefaction was quite unusual, to offer to donate one's fortune while living rather than upon death. Greek prime minister Charilaos Trikoupis personally noted the significance of Pangas's philanthropy.