Library paper used for cartridges
Kolokotronis and Fotakos recall Dimitsana’s sacrifice for the war effort.
Why it matters
It turns the Library from a passive collection into an active participant in the struggle, where books literally became material for liberation.
During the Revolution, Dimitsana faced shortages not only of gunpowder but also of paper for cartridges. According to Library tradition and revolutionary testimony, books and church volumes from the Library and monasteries were used to prepare ammunition for the fighters of the Peloponnese.
The loss was enormous: after the Revolution, only a much smaller part of the pre-war Library survived. This makes the Library one of the most moving symbols of Dimitsana’s sacrifice of knowledge for freedom.