On April 11, 2025, the Laboratory of Papyrology and Epigraphy of the UoC Department of Philology welcomed a group of young visitors as part of the Greek-German Youth Exchange Program implemented by the Deutsch-Griechisches Jugendwerk / Greek-German Youth Foundation (https://dgjw-egin.org/el/).

Nine young German athletes, fencers of the Fechterschaft im TV 1862 Langen e.V., accompanied by their adult chaperones, visited the facilities of the University of Crete Library at Gallos Campus (Rethymnon) and the UoC Research Center (UCRC). There, Dr. Nikos Litinas, Teaching Staff member of the Department of Philology, provided visitors with an introduction to the writing surfaces of antiquity. The presentation was complemented by the screening of a documentary on the discovery of papyri in Egypt.

The visit continued with hands-on activities, where participants created embossed replicas of ancient inscriptions and crafted inscribed ostraca by writing on fragments of contemporary pottery.

The visit concluded with the narration of myths from ancient Cretan mythology — including the tales of Minos, the Minotaur, the Labyrinth, Theseus, and Daedalus — capturing the interest and enthusiasm of the young visitors. The group departed with excellent impressions of their experience and introduction to the University of Crete.