George Papandreou

Birth Name: George Jeffrey Papandreou (English)/Georgios Andreas Papandreou (Greek)

Place of Birth: Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota, United States

Date of Birth: June 16, 1952

Ethnicity:
*37.5% Greek
*25% English
*25% Swiss-German
*12.5% Polish

George Papandreou is a Greek politician. He served as Prime Minister of Greece, from 6 October, 2009 to 11 November, 2011. He has also been Minister of Foreign Affairs, from 18 February, 1999 to 13 February, 2004, and again, from 6 October, 2009 to 7 September, 2010; President of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, from 8 February, 2004 to 18 March, 2012, Leader of the Opposition, from 10 March, 2004 to 6 October, 2009, and President of the Socialist International, from 30 January 2006 to 25 November, 2022. He is the third generation in his family to have been the country’s Prime Minister.

He was born in Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota, to a Greek father and an American mother. His father, Andreas Georgios Papandreou, was an economist and politician, who was also Prime Minister of Greece, from 21 October, 1981 to 2 July, 1989, and again, from 13 October, 1993 to 17 January, 1996, and President of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, from 3 September, 1974 to 23 June, 1996. His mother, Margaret Esther Mary (Chant), was an American, who was born in Oak Park, Illinois. George renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2000. His brother is politician, businessperson, and writer Nikos Papandreou.

George has a son with his former wife Evanthia “Eva” Zissimides; and a daughter with his former wife Ada Papapanou.

George’s father was of three quarters Greek and one quarter Polish ancestry. George’s mother was of half English and half Swiss-German descent.

Prime Minister Papandreou’s paternal grandfather was Georgios Papandreou. Georgios was born in Kalentzi, Achaea, Greece, and was Prime Minister of Greece, from 26 April, 1944 to 3 January 1945, again, from 8 November, 1963 to 30 December, 1963, and again, from 19 February, 1964 to 15 July, 1965. He was the son of Andreas Stavropoulos, an Orthodox priest. Georgios re-married to Greek actress Cybele Andrianou.

Prime Minister Papandreou’s paternal grandmother was Zofia “Sofia/Sophi” Mineyko (the daughter of Zygmunt Mineyko and Persefona/Prozerpina Manaris). Prime Minister Papandreou’s great-grandfather Zygmunt Mineyko was a Polish nobleman, army officer, scientist, and engineer, who became a public figure in Greece. He was born in Bałwaniszki, Russian Empire, now Zyalyony Bor, Ashmyany district, Grodno region, Belarus, the son of Stanisław Jerzy Mineyko and Cecylia Szczonowicz. Prime Minister Papandreou’s great-grandmother Persefona/Prozerpina was Greek.

Prime Minister Papandreou’s maternal grandfather was Douglas George Chant (the son of George Edward Chant and Mary Ellen Douglas). Douglas was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. George Chant was born in the English Channel, to English parents James Chant and Elizabeth Rowe Willis. Mary was born in Troy, New York, to English immigrants Daniel Douglas and Elizabeth Holt.

Prime Minister Papandreou’s maternal grandmother was Hulda Anna Pfund (the daughter of Christian Friedrich Pfund and Anna Bertha Löhrer). Hulda was born in Oak Park, Illinois. Christian was born in Bern, Switzerland, to Christian Pfund and Magdalena Freidig. Bertha was also born in Switzerland, to Robert Löhrer and Madelene Saam. The family was of Swiss-German descent.

Sources: Birth record of Prime Minister Papandreou – https://familysearch.org

Genealogy of Prime Minister Papandreou (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.geni.com

Prime Minister Papandreou’s record of George’s mother – https://familysearch.org

Prime Minister Papandreou’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of Prime Minister Papandreou’s maternal grandfather, Douglas George Chant – https://familysearch.org

Prime Minister Papandreou’s maternal great-grandmother, Mary Ellen Douglas, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Prime Minister Papandreou’s maternal grandmother, Hulda Anna Pfund, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Prime Minister Papandreou’s maternal great-grandparents, Christian Friedrich Pfund and Anna Bertha Löhrer – https://familysearch.org