Greece Archives and Libraries

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Greece

Archives and Libraries

Introduction

In Greece there are several types of genealogical repositories:

• General State Archives of Greece (GAK)
• County Offices
• District Offices
• Municipal archives
• Local vital record offices
• Military archives
• Church archives
• Other libraries (public and academic)

Archives

General State Archives of Greece (GAK)

• Genika Archeia tou Kratous (GAK or GSA))
• How to Navigate the Website of the General State Archives of Greece

Known as Genika Archeia tou Kratous. The exact translation of this title from Greek into English is "General Archives of the State," and is referred to as the General State Archives of Greece. The Greek government collects records relating to Greek history, culture, and people. Records of genealogical value at general archives include:

• Church records
• Civil registration
• Passports
• School records
• Immigration records and declaration of domicile records from the mid-nineteenth century
• Pension and marriage records of military officers
• Notarial company records
• Microfilm copies of many of the records at this archive are available at the FamilySearch Library. The central archives of the General Archives of Greece is located at the following address:

Writing to the General State Archives of Greece

Central Office
Dafnis 61, P.O. 154 52
Psychiko, Greece
Tel: (01) 210-6782 200
Fax: (01) 210-6782 268
General State Archives

The archive includes the General State Archives of Greece and its regional offices. Information on addressing the letter and a form letter in Greek, with its English translation, found in this .pdf:

Form Letters to the General State Archives of Greece (GAK)

• • Requesting Birth information
  • Requesting Marriage information
  • Requesting information about the family structure and death of an ancestor
  • Follow up Thank You letter

Branches of the GAK

Branches of the General State Archives of Greece (GAK) collect records within the area they serve. These branches may include the area of a county, island, or large city. These branches are usually located in the capital of a district (Eparhia).

• A list of GAK branches with addresses, email addresses, phone and fax numbers can be found here: GAK Branches. (Page is in Greek; right-click to translate into English).

District Offices (Eparheion)

Each county is further subdivided into districts (Eparhia). Various records are found in these archives. These may include duplicates of municipal records.

Municipal/Community Archives (Dimotika)

Also called Koinotika Archeia. In Greece each municipality or community has its own archives under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior (Ypourgeion Esoterikon). These are located in the town or city halls. They serve as local repositories for records pertaining to their particular areas. Among the records of genealogical value at municipal archives are the following:

• Male and Female Registers
• Birth, marriage, and death records
• Town registers
• Book of Municipal Personnel
• Book of Relatives of Deceased Persons
• Family status records (oikogeneiaki katastasis)

The municipal archives of Greece are not open to the public. You may be granted special permission to search these records from the mayor or the clerk. This will vary from one archive to another.

When writing to the municipal or community archives, you will not need a street address as there is only one office in each town and it is understood where this is located.

• Municipality (Town Hall) addresses
  
  • Right click on the page and choose "Translate to English.
    

1. Click on a region.
2. Click on a prefecture.
3. Click on a municipality.

Writing to the Mayor of a Municipality

Information on addressing the letter and a form letter in Greek, with its English translation are found in this .pdf:

• Form Letters to the General State Archives of Greece (GAK)
  • Requesting Birth information
  • Requesting Marriage information
  • Requesting information about the family structure and death of an ancestor
  • Follow up Thank You letter

Local Civil Records Offices (Ληξιαρχείο)

In 1925 a separate office was created for keeping vital records—records of births, marriages, and deaths. In larger cities, these offices often have their own buildings. In smaller towns they are often found in the town halls (municipal or community offices).

The civil registry office in Athens has copies of some births, marriages, and deaths from 1859; however, the records in these offices generally begin in 1925. The first years after these offices began not every person was recorded, but later the records became more complete. For more information about these offices and their records, see Greece Civil Registration.

Military Archives (Στρατιωτικα)

Military archives include various types of information, including pension, recruiting, and so on. The recruiting records are particularly valuable as they include a register of all males by year of birth. You may need to write to the recruiting office of the Ministry of Defense main office for information as to the location of these records in local archives:

Stratologiko Grafeio
Ag. Paraskeuis
Grafeio Koinou
Ag. Paraskeui, Athens
Greece

The Greek Government Gazette (Efimeris tis Kyverniseos) has recruiting lists with information for each person, such as birthplace, father's name, and year of being responsible for duty. Serving in the armed forces was and still is mandatory in Greece. All male Greek citizens, aged between 19 and 45, are required to serve in the Armed Forces. Many issues of the Government Gazette have been microfilmed by the FamilySearch Library, and are listed under locality search - Greece, at FamilySearch.org.

Diocese Archives (Αρχεία Επισκοπής)

Greek Orthodox church records of marriages are kept in bishops’ offices (episkopi). A church officer called a metropolite is over a diocese (metropolis). There are 77 dioceses in Greece. Besides these, there is an archdiocese in Athens and in Crete, and an Exarchate on Patmos. You should write any request for information directly to the metropolite of the local diocese. For best results, keep the request simple. See Greece Church Records. The address for the archdiocese in Athens is:

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
21 Agias Filotheis Street
Athens
Greece

For addresses to other dioceses, you do not need a street address. Addressing the letter to the city where the diocese is located will be sufficient. See Greece Gazetteers and Greece Genealogy for more information.

Form Letter

Information on addressing the letter and a form letter in Greek, with its English translation are found in this .pdf:

• Form Letter to a Diocese
  • Asking for a Marriage record
  • Follow up Thank You letter

Libraries

Some of the sources you will want to use are also available in major libraries in Greece and in other countries. Contact these libraries and ask about their collections, hours, services, and fees.

National Library of Greece
Odos Eleftheriou Venizelou
Athens
Greece

The National Library has a collection of published genealogies, manuscripts, histories, directories, maps, and newspapers.

• Digital Library of Modern Greek Studies, Anemi (Greek Almanac of 1837)

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.