FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARYSALT LAKE CITY. UTAH

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

RESEARCH OUTLINE

Greece

CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. IThe Family History Library Catalog 2Records Selection Table: Greece 3Maps of Greece 4Archives and Libraries 6Biography 7Cemeteries 8Census 8Church Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9Civil Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. IICourt Records 13Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13Emigration and Immigration 14Encyclopedias and Dictionaries ISGazetteers 16Genealogy 17Heraldry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 19Historical Geography 20History 20Language and Languages 2 IMaps 23Military Records 24Minorities 25Names, Personal 27Naturalization and Citizenship 29Nobility 29Notarial Records 30Periodicals 30Probate Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 31Schools 31Social Life and Customs 31Societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 31Taxation 32Other Records 32For Further Reading 32

INTRODUCTION

This outline can help you find information aboutpeople who lived in Greece. It gives informationabout records of genealogical value for Greece andhelps you decide which types of records to search.

HELPS FOR USING THISRESEARCH OUTLINE

Before using this outline you need to choose theinformation you would like to learn about one ofyour ancestors such as a birth date or a maidenname.

After you have decided what information youwant to find, look at the "Record Selection Table"in this outline. It lists the kinds of information youmay want and the best types of records for findingthat information.

There is a section in the outline for each type ofrecord listed in columns 2 and 3 of the "RecordSelection Table." The sections give moreinformation about these records and how to findthem. The sections are in alphabetical order.

References to the Family History LibraryCatalog

The Family History Library Catalog is a listing ofall the records available at the Family HistoryLibrary. The catalog is available at the FamilyHistory Library and at each Family HistoryCenter. Staff there can help you learn to use thecatalog.

This outline gives instructions for findinginformation in the catalog. For example, in thesection of this outline called "Census" you mayfind the following statement:

For more information about census records, lookin the locality search section of the FamilyHistory Library Catalog under:

GREECE - CENSUSGREECE, [COUNTY] - CENSUSGREECE, [COUNTY], [CITY] - CENSUS

This tells you to look in the catalog under:

• Greece and then the subject CENSUS.

• A county in Greece and then the subjectCENSUS.

• A city in a county in Greece and then the subjectCENSUS.

This outline includes many references to specificrecords. The references include call numberslisted in parenthesis. The call number is used tofind a record in the Family History Library (FHL).Each book, film, fiche, or map is assigned a callnumber.

For additional information on using the catalog secUsing the Family History Library Catalog (30966).

References to other Family History LibraryPublications

The Family History Library has many otherpublications that may be helpful to you in yourresearch. Some are referred to in this outline. Theirtitles are in italics and their item numbers are inparenthesis. They are available at the Family HistoryLibrary and the Salt Lake City Distribution Centerat:

Salt Lake Distribution CenterP.O. Box 26368Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0368Tel. 1-800-537-5971Fax 1-800-240-3685lnternet: http://www.familysearch.org/

THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARYCATALOG

The key to finding a record in the Family HistoryLibrarys collection is the Family History LibraryCatalog. The catalog describes each of the library'srecords and lists the call numbers. The catalog isavailable on microfiche and on compact disc aspart of FamilySearchTM, a computer programavailable at Family History Centers and on theInternet. It is at the Family History Library and ateach family history center. It may also be foundunder "custom search" on the following Internetsite:

http://www.familysearch.org

The Family History Library Catalog on microficheis divided into four sections:

• Locality• Subject• Surname• Author/Title

The Family History Library Catalog on compactdisc also has four types of searches:

• Locality Search• Film Number Search• Surname Search• Computer Number Search

To find the call numbers of the records describedin this outline, you will most often use the localitysection on microfiche or the locality search oncompact disc. The section headings in this outlinethat describe types of records, such as "ChurchRecords," are the same as the subjects used in the

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microfiche edition of the Family History LibraryCatalog and the topics used in the compact discedition.

The catalog generally uses the native languagethat the records are written in to describe therecords. The description includes a brief Englishsummary ofthe content.

The Locality section lists records according tothe area they cover. Records relating to the entirecountry, such as emigration and immigrationrecords, are listed under Denmark. Most recordsare listed under a specific county or city orparish, as follows:

GREECE, [COUNTY], [CITY]

For example, in the Locality section look for:

• The place where an ancestor lived, such as:

GREECE, KERKYRAS. AGROS

• Then the record type you want, for example:census, probates. or church records.

GREECE, KERKYRAS, AGROS - CHURCHRECORDS

The catalog is based on the new county structureas instituted in 1793. For additional informationabout localities in Greece, see the "Gazetteers,""Historical Geography," "History," and "Map"sections of this outline.

This outline also provides some of the library'scall numbers. These are preceded by FHL, theabbreviation for Family History Library.

For more help with the Family History LibraryCatalog, see library staff or:

Booklet: Using the Family History LibraryCatolog (30966).

Video: How to Use the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog (53191).

RECORDS SELECTION TABLE: GREECE

The table below can help you decide whieh records to search.

\. In column I find the category closest to your research goal.2. In column 2 find the types of records most likely to have the information you need.3. In column 3 find additional records that may also be useful.4. Turn to the section of this outline that corresponds to the record type you chose. It explains what the

records might tell you, how to search them, and how to find the records in the Locality Search of theFamily History Library Catalog. Some records are not at the Library.

Note: Records of previous research-genealogy, biography, history, periodicals, and societies-are usefulfor most goals, but are not listed unless they are especially helpful.

l. If You Need 2. Look First In 3. Then Search

Adoptions Court Records

Age Church Records, Civil Registration Census, Emigration andImmigration

Birth date Church Records, Civil Registration Emigration and Immigration

Children Church Records, Civil Registration Genealogy

City or parish of birth Church Records, Civil Registration Emigration and Immigration,Census

County origins and boundaries Historical Geography History, Encyclopedias andDictionaries, Gazetteers

Customs Social Life and Customs Encyclopedias and Dictionaries,Periodicals

Death Church Records, Civil Registration Cemeteries

Divorce Church Records Court Records, Military Records

Ethnicity Minorities, Census, Church Records Civil Registration, History

Historical background History Encyclopedias and Dictionaries,Periodicals, Genealogy

Immigration date Emigration and Immigration Civil Registration

Living relatives Directories Biography

Maiden name Church Records, Civil Registration

Marriage Church Records, Civil Registration Military Records

Occupation Church Records, Civil Registration Census, School Records

Parents and other family members Church Records, Civil Registration Probate Records, Census

Physical description Emigration and Immigration Military

Placc-finding aids Gazetteers, Maps History, Encyclopedias andDictionaries

Place of residence Census Church Records, CivilRegistration

Previous research Genealogy, Periodicals Biography, Societies, Nobility

Record-finding aids Genealogy Periodicals

Religion Church Records, History Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Social activities Social Life and Customs Biography, History

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ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

Archives collect and preserve original documentsof organizations such as churches or governments.Libraries generally collect published sources suchas books, maps, and microfilm. This sectiondescribes the major repositories of genealogJcaland historical records and sources for Greece.When one of these institutions is referred toelsewhere in this outline, return to this section toobtain the address.

II' you plan to visit one of these reposit?ries, .contact the organization and ask for mformallonabout their collection, hours, services, and fees.

Even if the original records you need are in anarchive or library in Greece, the Family HistoryLibrary may have a microfilm copy of them.

In Greece there are several types of genealogicalrepositories:

• General Archives of Greece (GAK)• County Offices

District OfficesMunicipal archivesLocal vital record officesMilitary archivesChurch archivesOther libraries (public and academic)

General Archives of Greece (GAK)Tou - Genika

Archeia tou Kratous)

Some have translated the title for this archive asthe "National Historical Archivcs." The Greekgovernment collects records rclating to Greekhistory, culture, and people. Records ofgenealogical value at general archives include:

Church recordsCivil rcgistrationPassportsSchool recordsImmigration records and declaration of domicilerecords from the mid-nineteenth centuryPension and marriage records of militaryofficers

• Notarial company records

Microfilm copies of many of the records at thisarchive are available at the Family History Library.The central archives of the General Archivcs ofGreece is located at the following address:

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Genika Archeia Tau Kratous (fAK)Megaron Akadimiasados Eleftheriou Venizclou 2810679 AthensGREECETel: (01) 362-7781Fax: (0 I) 362-7781

Branches of the General Archives of Greece

Branches of the General 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 usuallylocated in the capital of a district (Eparhia).

To find out where the branch ofthe GAK for aparticular area is located, inquiries can be sent tothe central offices listed above.

County Offices - Nomarheion)

Greece is divided into 53 counties (Nomos). Eachcounty has an office and an archive. The archivesinclude duplicates of some records of themunicipal archives. These include caples of themale registers used for military recruitment.

District Offices - Eparheion)

Each county is further subdivided into districts(Eparhia). Various records are found in thesearchives. These may include duplicates ofmunicipal records.

Municipal/Community Archives

Dimotika/Koinotika Archeia)

In Greece each municipality or community has itsown archives under the jurisdiction of the Ministryof Interior (Ypourgeiol1 Esoterikol1). These arelocated in the town or city halls. They serve aslocal repositories for records pertaining to theirparticular areas. Among the records ofgenealogical value at mUlllClpal archlves are thefollowing:

Birth, marriage, and death recordsTown registers

• Book of Municipal PersonnelBook of Relatives of Deceased PersonsFamily status records (oikogel1eiaki katastasis)

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

When writing to the municipal or communityarchives, you will not need a street address as thereis only one office in each town and it is understoodwhere this is located.

(Local) Civil Records Offices- Lixiarheion)

In 1925 a separate office was created for keepingvital records-records of births, marriages, anddeaths. In larger cities, these offices often havetheir own buildings. In smaller towns they areoften found in the town halls (municipal orcommunity offices).

The civil registry office in Athens has copies ofsome births, marriages, and deaths from 1859;however, the records in these offices generallybegin in 1925. The first years after these officesbegan not every person was recorded, but later therecords became more complete.

For more information about these offices and theirrecords, sec the "Civil Registration" section of thisoutline.

Census records may be found at the NationalStatistics Service:

Ypourgeio EsoterikonStatistiki YpiresiaEuaggclistrias 2AthensGREECE

Military Archives- Stratiotika Arheia)

Military archives include various types ofinformation, including pension, recruiting, and soon. The recruiting records are particularly valuableas they include a register of all males by year ofbirth. You may need to write to the recruitingoffice of the Ministry ofDefense main office forinformation as to the location of these records inlocal archives:

Stratologiko GrafeioAg. ParaskeuisGrafeio KoinouAg. Paraskeui, AthensGREECE

Diocese Archives- Jera Mitropolis)

Greek Orthodox church records of marriages arekept in bishops' offices (episkopi). A churchofficer called a metropo!ite is over a diocese(mitropo!is). There are 77 dioceses in Greece.

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Besides these, there is an archdiocese in Athensand in Crete, and an Exarchate on Patmos. Youshould write any request for infonnation directly tothe metropolite ofthc local diocese. For bestresults, keep the request simple. See the "ChurchRecords" section of this outline.

The address for the archdiocese in Athens is:

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese21 Agias Filotheis StreetAthensGREECE

For addresses to other dioceses, you do not need astreet address. Addressing the letter to the citywhere the diocese is located will be sufficient. Seethe "Gazetteers" and "Genealogy" sections of thisoutline for more information.

Other Libraries

Some of the sources you will want to use are alsoavailable in major libraries in Greece and in othercountries. Contact these libraries and ask abouttheir collections, hours, services, and fees.

National Library ofGreeceOdos Eleftheriou VenizelouAthensGREECE

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

BIOGRAPHY

A biography is a history of a person's life. In abiography you may find the individual's birth,marriage, and death information, and the names ofhis or her parents, children, or other familymembers. Use the information carefully becausethere may be inaccuracies.

Some brief biographies are included inencyclopedias or dictionaries. These includebiographies of prominent or well-known citizens ofGreece. Sometimes biographies are also written forspecific groups of people, such as people whoparticipated in the war of independence. (See the"Encyclopedias and Dictionaries" section of thisoutline.)

Biographical books at the Family History Librarywill be listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog under the locality and then the heading"Biography." There are biographical books at theFamily History Library for people who lived in the

towns of Hios (county of Hiou), and Zakynthos(county of Zakynthou).

CEMETERIES

Cemetery records in Greece are generally not agood source for genealogical research. The customin Greece is to bury a person for only 3-5 ycars,after which the remains are exhumed and placed inan ossuary (osteofj'lakeion) in a building at thecemetery. In largcr citics some familIes owned afamily plot whcrc the remains of all of the familymembers werc placed and where there may be agravestone with information about people buriedthere.

There are two major types of cemctery records inGreece:

Information recorded on gravestones, calledmonumental inscriptions, which includetranscripts of this information. These areavailable only for family grave plots in largercities.

• Information recorded by cemetery officials orcaretakers, including sexton's records, public(municipal) cemetery records, churchyardrecords, burial ground records, and grave books.These books are generally not available to thepublic.

Cemetery records may include the name of thedeceased, age, date of death or burial, date or yearof birth, birthplace, father or husband's name(maiden names for females not included), andsometimes marriage infonnation.

The only cemetery records currently availablefrom Greece at the Family History Library includecemetery records listing British soldiers who diedthere in World War II, and two short books byloannes Typaldos-Laskaratos of monuments andcoat-of-arms from Catholic and Anglicancemeteries in Kerkyra (Corfu) and in Kefallinia(Cephalonia).

CENSUS

A census is a count and description of thepopulation. Censuses have been taken by thegovernment of Greece as well as governments thatruled the region prior to Greek independence.These were taken for population studies, taxation,and military purposes.

However, the census records from Greece have notbeen made available to the public so it is notcertain what types of genealogical information arecontained in them.

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Some early censuses were taken in different placesand for different purposes. A census of Crete from1644 and census records from some areas ofPeloponnesus prior to 1820 taken during Venetianrule are located in Venice, Italy. Turkish rulerstook frequent censuses, including one in the late1600s, 1718, 1719, and others through 1798.

In its early years of self-rule, Greece took a censusin 1828 and 1830. A department of nationalstatistics was established in 1834. A yearly censuswas taken from 1836-1845 and in 1848, 1853, and1856. Later on, a census was taken in 1861, 1870,1879,1889,1896,1907,1920,1928,1940,1951,1961,1971,1981, and 1991.

With the addition of new territory, a special censusof newly acquired areas was taken in 1865, 1881,1900, 1913, and 1947. A special, voluntary censusof refugees from Asia Minor was taken in 1923.

The location of the above census records may be inthe Department of National Statistics. Some censusstatistics have been published; however, these donot list personal information helpful forgenealogical research.

Census records available through the FantilyHistory Library include some giving more fantilyinformation than others:

1840-1844, 1848, 1851, 1879 and other censusrecords filmed at Nauplion, which includesstatistics from the country of Greece and thecounty Argolidos (computer number 0734592).

1835, 1838-1839 census and 1857-1881, 1889town registers from county of Argolidos(computer number 073460 I).

Census records were also taken of the Armenianminority in Greece and are on nticrofilm asfollows:

• 1923 census of Armenians in Greece (computernumber 0327569)

1948 census of Armenians in Thessaloniki andregions of Macedonia and Thrace in northernGreece (computer number 0327578).

1953 census of Armenians in Greece (computernumber 0327573 and 0327571)

Searching Census Records

When searching census records, it's important toremember the following:

• Information may be incorrect.

See FHLC

See FHLC

• Accept the ages with caution.

• Given names may not always be the same as thename recorded in vital records.

Place names may be misspelled.

• If your family is not at the suspected address.search the surrounding area.

When you find your family in one census, searchthat same location in the earlier and later censusrecords for additional family members.

CHURCH RECORDS

Records of births, marriages, and deaths arecommonly called vital records because criticalevents in a person's life are recorded in them.Church records are vital records made by priests.Church records are crucial for genealogicalresearch in Greece.

The Eastern Orthodox faith is the official religionof Greece, although other religions are tolerated.Fully 97 percent of the population of Greecebelongs to the Greek Orthodox Church. DuringOttoman rule the church was headed by thepatriarch of Constantinople. After Greece won itsindependence in 1830, the church withdrew fromcontrol of that patriarch and became self-governingwith a holy synod of bishops, subject to the controlof the state. The highest religious official inGreece is the archbishop of Athens, who isresponsible for maintaining doctrinal unity amongall Greek Orthodox churches.

Greek Orthodox church records are excellentsources for accurate information on names, dates,and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Mostpeople who lived in Greece were recorded in achurch record.

Greek Orthodox churches have made records forseveral centuries. Some church records in Greecebegin in the sixteenth century, although mostregisters begin in the late 1600s and early 1700s.

For birth, marriage, and death records after about1840, there may also be a civil record (see the"Civil Registration" section of this outline).

Information Recorded in Church Registers

The infonnation recorded in church books variedover time. The later records generally give morecomplete infonnation than the earlier ones.

The most important church records forgenealogical research arc christening, marriage,

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and burial registers. In addition, church recordsmay include account books, list of clergy, and listsof members.

Greek Orthodox church records were written inGreek. Catholic Church registers are in Latin andItalian. Armenian church registers are inAnnenian.

Baptisms

In early years, children were generally christened afew days after their birth. Christening registersusually give the infant's and parents' names(sometimes giving the grandfather's name), statusof legitimacy, names of godparents, and the birthand christening date. The patronymic name isgiven for each male person mentioned in the entryand husband's name for the females. You may alsofind the date, father's occupation, and the family'splace of residence.

Marriages

Marriage registers give the date of the marriage,the names of the bride and groom, and the namesof the parents of the bride and groom. They mayalso lIst the names of witnesses and list the agesand birthplaces of the bride and groom.

Diocese Marriage Records

In Greece, persons who wanted to marry had totalk to the local priest. The prospective couplesubmitted certificates giving their birth, parentage,and other information to the local priest, whoforwarded it to the diocese (mitropolis). Clerksthere would check to make sure neither party wascurrently married to someone else, nor too closelyrelated to the intended spouse. lfno problems werefound, the diocese would issue the permission forInarnage.

Upon receiving the diocese's approval, the localpriest performed the marriage. Often, the onlypermanent record of the marriage is theinformation recorded by the diocese. If themarriage did not actually take place, that fact isusually noted in the diocese's records.

These records generally give the same informationas the parish marriage record and may also list thedate the certificate was issued, the birthplaces ofthe bride and groom, their residence, parents'names, and whether this was the first or asubsequent marriage. Other infonnation varies.The original certificates that were provided by thebnde and groom appear to be on file in thediocese.

Diocese Divorce Records

Divorces before the mid-twentieth century wereuncommon. Records of divorces may containinformation on family members, their maritalhistory, their property, residences, and dates ofother important events such as the children'sbirths. Records of divorce are found either in courtrecords or in diocese records.

Deaths

Deaths were recorded by the priest who performedthe funeral. Burial usually took place within 24hours of death, either in the parish where theperson died, or in the cemetery of the town wherethe person died.

Death registers give the name ofthe deceasedperson, the father's name, the date of death, age,marital status (widow or widower), and sometimesthe cause of death.

Locating Church Records

In earlier years, each priest had a book where herecorded the ordinances he performed. Birthentries from his books were copied by the civilauthorities in order to construct the male register.When a priest retired or died, the book had to beturned in to the diocese. A priest may have servedmore than one local village or he may have servedwith other priests in one parish.

You must determine the diocese that yourancestor's town belonged to so that you will knowwhere the records are kept.

In large cities, where there may be many parishes,the Family History Library Catalog uses the parishname (such as St. John) to distinguish the recordsof different parishes.

Although church records originated on the parishlevel, the records may be located at various placestoday. Often the oldest church records are in theGAK. Some very old records are kept inmonasteries. Records of the 1800s and 1900s maybe kept in local diocese offices. Marriage recordsespecially are generally kept in the diocese offices.Records from the 1900s are often in the diocesanarchives.

You can usually obtain birth, death, and sometimesmarriage information by writing to or visiting thelocal mayors' offices. You can write to the dioceseoffice for marriage information. If records are stillin possession of churches and monasteries, you cansometimes get information by writing to or visiting

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the local church officials, although they might notallow access to their records.

Church Directories

Church directories list the various places where theOrthodox church has congregations and addresses.They often give additional information such aschurch beliefs, diocese office addresses, andcalendar items.

A yearly church directory for the Greek OrthodoxChurch includes information on Eastern Orthodoxchurches in other countries of eastern Europe. TheFamily History Library listings for the 1976 and1995 editions are:

(Imerologlon tis Ekklisias tis Ellados - Almanacof the Churches ofGreece). (s.1.): ApostolikiDiakonia tis Ellados, 1976. (FHL book 949.5K22e; computer number 0412827.)

1995(Dlptyha tis Ekklislas tis Ellados, 1995 ­Diptych of the Church ofGreece, 1995).Athinai: Apostoliki Diakonia tis Ekklisias tisEllados, 1995. (FHL book 264.019 Or8d;computer number 0752513.)

Minority Religions and Records

The minority religions include about 1.3 percent ofthe population. There are Muslims of WesternThrace, with additional small communities ofRoman Catholics (renmants from Venetian times),Protestants (from 19th century missionaryactivity), Annenian Monophysites, and Jews.

Roman Catholic church records from various partsof Greece have been filmed. For example, many ofthe records from the 1700s-1930s have beenfilmed from the county of Kykladon. Churchrecords kept by the Roman Catholic church aresimilar in content to the Orthodox church records.

Records at the Family History Library

The Family History Library has some churchrecords on microfilm from Greece. This collectioncontinues to grow as new records are microfilmed.

Earlier church records have been filmed fromGAK (Genika Archeia tou Kratous) in the counties(nomos) of Kerkyras (1700s-1844), Kefallinias(1700s-early 1900s), Leukados (1700s,1823-1860), and the district (eparhla) of Kythiron(1660s and 1700s-1865). Church records from thediocese of Halkidos, Thivon and Levadias, andRcthymni have also been filmed. Diocese

boundaries do not always correlate with countyboundaries.

The specific holdings of the Family HistoryLibrary are listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog. You can determine whether the libraryhas records for the locality your ancestor camefrom by checking the locality section of the FamilyHistory Library Catalog. Of course, if a record hasbeen destroyed, was never kept, has not beenmicrofilmed, or is restricted from public access bythe laws of the country, the Family History Librarywill not have a copy.

In the Family History Library Catalog, look underthe name of the town, district, or county where theyour ancestor lived:

GREECE, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - CHURCHRECORDS

GREECE, [COUNTY], [DISTRICT] ­CHURCH RECORDS

GREECE, [COUNTY] - CHURCH RECORDS

Records Not at the Family History Library

Baptism, marriage, and death records may befound by contacting or visiting a local diocese orGAK (Genika Archeia tou Kratous) in Greece.

Greece has no single repository of church records.The present location of records depends on severalfactors of nationality, government regulations, andlocal history. Records are available from severallocations.

Local parishes. Most church registers arc stillmaintained by the parish. Most older records,however, have often been turned in to diocese orstate repositories.

GAK archives (Genika Archeia tou Kratous).Many pre-1900 records from many parishes arein the GAK. Some of these records have beenmicrofilmed and are available at the FamilyHistory Library. However, for more recentrecords and for those not yet microfilmed, writeto the Genika Archeia tou Kratous and requestsearches of the records. See the "Archives andLibraries" section of this outline.

Diocese archives. Current parish registers arelocated at the parish, but older records arecollected in diocese archives. The diocesearchives particularly keep marriage records.

Some form letters that can be used to write forgenealogical information in Greek are given in thefollowing book:

II

Catsakis, Lica (Bywater). Greek GenealogicalResearch. 2d ed. Salt Lake City, Utah: TheGreek Association of Family History andTradition (SIPEO), 1992 (34-39). (FHL book949.5 D27b 1992; film 1183684 item 2; fiche6068522; computer number 0699128.)

Include the following in your request:

• Full name of the person sought

Names of the parents, if known

Approximate date and place of the event

Your relationship to the person

Reason for the request (family history)

Request for a photocopy of the completeoriginal record

International Reply Coupon, available from yourlocal post office

Agreement concerning payment of any feesincurred

Search Strategies

Use the following strategies to search churchrecords effectively:

I. Search for the relative or ancestor you selected.When you find the birth record, search for thebirths of his or her brothers and sisters.

2. Search for the marriage ofyour ancestor'sparents. The marriage record will often lead tothe birth records of the parents.

3. You can estimate the ages of the parents andsearch for their birth records.

4. Repeat the process for both the father and themother.

5. If earlier generations are not in the record,search records of neighboring towns.

6. Search the death registers for all familymembers.

CIVIL REGISTRATION

Civil registration consists of vital records made bythe government. Records of births, marriages, anddeaths are commonly referred to as vital recordsbecause they refer to critical events in a person'slife. Civil registration records are an excellent

source for accurate information on names, dates,and places of births, marriages, and deaths.

The Greek term for vital records is Lixiarheion,which is also the title of the office for vital recordscreated in 1925. When making requests for olderrecords, it is best to avoid this term.

Some districts and counties compiled informationof birth, marriage, and death records for acommunity into volumes. These civil registersmostly cover the 1840s-1940s. They are compiledfrom other sources and may include errors. Therecords arc in the local mayor's office. Copies mayalso be found in the county offices (Nomarhia).Copies from various town halls and city archiveshave been filmed from the counties of Athens(Attikis), Leukados, and Peiraios.

Beginning about the 1840s, civil registration wasformally established, requiring that separaterecords of birth, marriage, and death be kept by thelocal government. A separate record-keepingadministration, Lixiarheion, was not fullyestablished until 1925, when a national departmentfor government registration of vital records wasestablished. Even then, the practice of civilregistration was not fully established in all areasuntil 1931.

For birth, death, and marriage records before 1925,see the "Church Records" section of this outline.

Information Recorded in Civil Registers

The most important civil records for genealogicalresearch are birth, marriage, and death registers.Contemporary civil registration records usuallycontain the following infonnation.

• Births - genniseis)

Birth records generally give the child's name;date the birth was reported; place of birth; hour,date, and day of the week ofbirth; date, place,and parish of baptism; the father's name,occupation, religion, citizenship, and residence;the mother's name; and the godparents' names.

• Marriages - gamoi)

Civil officials recorded the marriages inregisters, usually preprinted fonns bound in abook and kept in the civil office.

Marriage registers give the date of the marriage,the names of the bride and groom, their ages,their places ofbirth, their residences, theiroccupatious, their citizenship, their religion,whether this is their first or a subsequentmarriage, and their parents' names.

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Deaths - thanatoi)

Death records are helpful because they mayprovide important information on a person'sbirth, spouse, and parents. Death recordsgenerally give the name of the deceased person;date recorded; time, date, and day of the week ofthe death; place and cause of death; birthplace;age; residence; occupation; religion; citizenship;marital status; spouse's name; father's name;and mother's name.

Women's maiden names are not mentioned indeath records.

Civil death records often exist for individuals forwhom there are no birth or marriage records.Deaths were usually registered within a fewdays of the death in the town or city where theperson died.

• Male Registers - MitroonArrenon)

When Greece became an independent state,communities began keeping registers of males(Mitroon Arrenon), which list all the males bornin a particular community. They were kept forvoting and military purposes. Male registerswere created for all communities in Greece. Asnew areas became part of Greece, theircommunities also began keeping male registers.In some areas male registers were reconstructedfrom other records back to 1825.

Some areas also kept a female register (MitrounThilaion), which usually started at a later datethan the male register. These registers werecreated retrospectively and therefore may bemissing some people.

Male and female registers give the followinginformation: name of the person, father's name,year of birth (later registers list full date ofbirth), place of birth, and mother's given name.The entries arc listed chronologically by the dateof birth. Some male registers in the counties ofEuvoias and Argolidos have been microfilmedand can be found in the catalog under the nameof the town and the heading "CivilRegistration."

• Town (Resident) RegistersDimotologion)

Town (resident) registers are lists offamilygroups living in a particular locality. Forcommunities where these registers exist, theregisters start by at least 1887. They list thegiven name, age, and occupation for eachindividual. Once a resident register was

compiled, it was kept current by adding newinformation such as marriage, death, andimmigration dates. These records can be found inthe municipal archives.

Locating Civil Registration Records

Civil registration records arc kept at the local townhall (Dimarheion) in each town or city. Copies arealso available at the county offices (Nomarheion).You can obtain information from these recent civilregistration records by writing to or visiting thelocal mayor's offices.

Your ancestor may have lived in a village thatbelonged to a nearby (larger) town. In large cities,there may be many civil registration districts. Youmay need to use gazetteers and other geographicreferences to identify the place your ancestor livedand the civil registration office that served it. Seethe "Gazetteers" section of this outline. In additionto the town, you need to know at least anapproximate year in which the birth, marriage,divorce, or death occurred.

Records at the Family History Library

The Family History Library has microfilmed civilregistration records. Records of the Lixiarheionhave been filmed for the cities of Athinai (Athens),Peiraicus, Thessaloniki, and Nafplion. To find outwhat other records and time periods have beenmicrofilmed, check the Family History LibraryCatalog.

The specific holdings of the Family HistoryLibrary are listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog. To find civil registration records in theFamily History Library, search in the Localitysection of the library's catalog under:

GREECE - CIVIL REGISTRATIONGREECE, [COUNTY] - CIVIL

REGISTRATIONGREECE, [COUNTY], [DISTRICT] - CIVIL

REGISTRATIONGREECE, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - CIVIL

REGlSTRATlON

The Library's collection continues to grow as newrecords are microfilmed and added to thecollection from numerous sources. Don't give up ifrecords are not available yet. Check the FamilyHistory Library Catalog from time to time to see ifnew records have been acquired from your area ofGreece.

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Locating Records Not at the Family HistoryLibrary

Birth, marriage, divorce, and death records may befound by contacting or visiting local civilregistration offices or archives in Greece. Forrecords not available at the Family HistoryLibrary, you will need to write to the local archivesin Greece.

COURT RECORDS

If you suspect that your ancestor may have beeninvolved in land disputes or other legal situations,or committed a crime, records for these will befound through the ministry ofjustice of Greece.

For 1849-1861, alist of people who were qualifiedto be jurors is found on FHL film 103900, item1-5 (computer number 0757498). Copies of someof the court decisions relating to birth or adoptions,marriages, divorces, and so on may be found at themunicipality or diocese. Some of these areincluded with records that have been filmed.

DIRECTORIES

Directories are alphabetical lists of names andaddresses. These often list all the adult residents ortradesmen of a city or area. In the twentiethcentury there arc directories of those havingtelephones.

Telephone directories of local residents andbusinesses can be useful for genealogical research.These are published periodically and may includean individual's name, address, and occupation.Telephone directories may include addresses ofchurches, cemeteries, civil registration offices, andother locations of value to the genealogist.

The Family History Library has a few directoriesfor Greece:

A directory of people from the island of Kythira,including many persons from there who movedto other places

A 1994 telephone directory of Athens-Piraeus(A thinai-Peiraieus)

Telephone directories from 1973-1975 for thecounties of Attikis, Ahaias, Kefallinias, andZakynthou;, the island of Crete; the AegeanIslands; and the regions of Peloponnesus andThessaly

Directories arc listed in the locality section of theFamily History Library Catalog under:

GREECE - DIRECTORIESGREECE, [COUNTY], [CITY] ­

DIRECTORIES

The telephone company of Greece (OTE) has alisting of white and yellow pages available on theInternet:

www.hellasyellow.gr/

There are also special directories that can help yonfind church dioceses and parishes. See the "ChurchDirectories" section of this outline.

EMIGRATION ANDIMMIGRATION

Emigration and immigration sources list the namesof people leaving (emigration) or coming into(immigration) Greece. These lists are usuallyfound as passenger lists, permissions to emigrate,records of passports issued, hsts of prisonersdeported, and so on. The information in theserecords may include the names of the emigrants,ages, occupations, destinations, and the place oforigin or birthplace of the emigrant.

These sources can be valuable in helping youdetermine where in Greece your ancestor camefrom. If you don't find your ancestor, you may findemigration information on neighbors of yourancestor. People who lived near each other inGreece often settled together in the country theyemigrated to.

Records were created when individuals emigratedfrom or inunigrated into Greece. Other recordsdocument an ancestor's arrival in his or herdestination country. This section discusses:

Emigration from GreeceGreek immigrants to the United StatesFinding the emigrant's town of originImmigration into Greece

Emigration from Greece

Sometimes the best sources for information aboutyour immigrant ancestor are found in the countryhe or she emigrated to. These records sometimesprovide the town of origin and other infonnation.To learn about these records, use handbooks,manuals, and research guides for that country.

Until the I 820s Greeks emigrated to Europeancountries mostly for political reasons. After theGreek nation was established, the reasons foremigration were econOlnic.

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Most people leaving Greece in the nineteenth andtwentieth centuries went to the United States,Egypt, Australia, South America, or South Africa.By 1910, an estimated one quarter to one fifth ofthe total labor force of Greece had left.

In 19 I4 alone, 35,832 Greek emigrants went to theUnited States. Emigration to the United Statesnearly stopped after 1924 when restrictiveimmigration quotas were applied. After that timemost emigrant Greeks went to other countries suchas Australia, Canada, or South Africa. Today therearc many Greeks in Australia, which is called bysome the largest of the Greek islands.

These Greek emigrants were not all from Greece.Many came from areas outside ofGreece, mainlyfrom the surrounding Turkish territory, the Balkancountries, or Egypt.

For most Greek emigrants, this was to be atemporary move-they intended to return to Greecewith money they saved abroad. Almost half of theemigrants eventually did return to Greece.

Greeks established Greek Orthodox churcheswherever they had sufficient numbers. Before theycould establish a Greek parish, they oftenassociated with other Eastern Orthodox churchessuch as the Russian Orthodox Church. Consultchurch records for these churches if you expectedto find your ancestor's records in the GreekOrthodox church and didn't. The church was thecultural and social heart of the community. Thechurch helped the Greek people maintain theircultural identity wherever they settled. InAmerica, for instance, they even offered Greeklanguage elasscs for American-born children.

Records of passports and other such documentsare located in Athens and Nauplion, the capitaland former capital of Greece. Such records fromthe county of Argolidos have been microfilmedand can be searched through the Family HistoryLibrary (computer number 0734602).

Greek Immigrants to the United States

Although Greeks had been leaving theirhomelands for the New World since colonial timesas sailors, merchants, or miners, it wasn't until theI890s that substantial Greek communities wereestablished in the United States.

At the elose of the Civil War, fewer than onehundred Greeks lived in the United States. Reportsof job opportunities in America started a wave ofemigration in the 1880s. The earliest emigrationwas from the Peloponnesus, then from centralGreece, Crete, Turkey, Cyprus, and the Balkancountries. The number of emigrants grew slowly

Sec FHLC

Burgess, Thomas. Greeks in America. Boston:Shermon, French, 1913. (FHL book 973 B4aiser. 2 vo1.2; computer number 0264040.)

until 1900, thereafter growing rapidly and reachinga peak about 1910.

Most Greek immigrants to the United Statesarrived at the port ofNew York. The FamilyHistory Library has microfilm copies of therecords and indexes ofNew York passenger listsfrom 1897-1943.

See the United States Research Outline (30972)for more information about emigration andimmigration records of the United States. At leasttwo books are available at the Family HistoryLibrary on this subject:

Fairchild, Henry P. Greek immigration to theUnited States. Berkeley, Calif.: Yale UniversityPress, 1911. (FHL film 1760249; computernumber 0534024.)

Finding the Emigrant's Town of Origin

Once you have traced your family back to yourimmigrant ancestor, you must determine the city ortown the ancestor was from. Greece has nonationwide index to birth, marriage, or deathrecords. These records were kept locally.

There are several sources, however, that may giveyour ancestor's place of origin. You may be able tolearn the town your ancestor came from by talkingto older family members. Members of your familyor a library may have some of the followingdocuments that might name the city or town:

Birth, marriage, and death certificatesObituaries

• JournalsPhotographsLettersFamily BibleChurch certificates or recordsNaturalization applications and petitionsPassenger lists

• PassportsFamily heirlooms

The two primary ports of departure from Greecewere Piraeus and Patras. Although no passengerlists from Greece have been microfilmed, there areseveral other sources for tracking your immigrantancestor's place of origin. Iflhe family came to theUnited States, the passenger arrival lists can be ofgreat hclp in finding the town where the family lastresided in Greece and an ancestor's birthplace,especially in the records of the early twentiethcentury. Indexes to New York arrivals

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(1903-1943) and other ports of arrival can besearched through the Family History Library orthe National Archives. A published set of booksthat may be helpful is:

Voultsos, Mary. Greek immigrant Passengers,i885-i910: A Guide and index to ResearchingEarly Greek immigrants. 3 vols. Worcester,Mass.: Mary Voultsos, 1992. (FHL book 973W2vm; computer number 0670347.) Firstvolume includes a list of Greek passengers toNew York 1885-1910, and to Boston1900-1910 listed alphabetically. The secondvolume is arranged by date of arrival, and thethird volume is arranged by destination. Keepin mind that this list is not complete as it refersonly to certain vessels.

Additional information about finding the originsof immigrant ancestors is given in the Tracing Table 4

immigrant Origins (34111) research outline.

Immigration into Greece

Significant numbers of ethnic Greek refugees wereremoved to Greece following World War 1. Someof the registers ofrefugees, identification lists, andcertificate records of those who moved to Greecehave been microfilmed and are available at theFamily History Library:

Register olRefugeesfi'om Marmara, Turkey.Halkis, Greece: General Archives of Greece,n.f. (FHL film 1792803 items 26-27; computernumber 0763533.)

Records, 192i-1984. Thessaloniki:Armenian Orthodox Archives, n.f. (FHL films1038672 items 6-7 and 1038674 item 2;computer number 0327577.) Includes census ofArmenian refugees to Thessaloniki (1923) andother records of the refugees from 1921-1937,annotated through 1984.

Liste preparatoire pour Ie repatriation desArmeniens de Grece, 1947 (Listfor theRepatriation ofArmenians of Greece). Athens:Armenian Orthodox Archives, n.f. (FHL films1038668 items 3-9, 1038669 items 1-2,1038672 item I; computer number 0327572.)

ENCYCLOPEDIAS ANDDICTIONARIES

Encyclopedias provide basic information on awide range of knowledge or treat a specific topiccomprehensively, usually in articles arrangedalphabetically. They often contain information ofgreat interest for genealogical research. They caninclude articles about towns and places, prominent

people, minorities, and religions. They can giveinformation about diverse topics such as recordkeeping practices, laws, customs, commerce,costumes, occupations, and archaic terminology.

The Family History Library has a generalknowledge encyclopedia in the Greek language:

(Neon epitomonegkyklopaidikon lexikon: Mikn. egkvklopaideia- New Abridged Encyclopedic Dictionarv'Micro 2 vols. Athenai: N.·Nikas& Sia, 1972. (FHL book 039.89 Ep47e; film1181682, items 3-4; computer number0038509.)

For information on language dictionaries, sec the"Language and Languages" section of this outline.

GAZETTEERS

A gazetteer is a dictionary of place names.Gazelleers describe towns and villages, parishesand counties, rivers and mountains, sizes ofpopulation, and other geographical features. Theyusually include only the names ofplaces thatexisted at the time the gazetteer was published.The place names are generally listed inalphabetical order, as in a dictionary.

Gazelleers may provide additional informationabout towns, such as schools, districts, local courtswith their locations and hierarchy, tax offices,government cashier's offices, diocese, place namechanges since the last gazelleer, and so on.

You can use a gazetteer to locate the places whereyour family lived and to determine the civil andchurch jurisdictions over those places. Forexample, the town of Marmara is in themunicipality Arhilohou, district Parou, countyKykladon, and diocese Paronaxias.

There may be many places in Greece with thesame or similar names. You will need to use agazelleer to identify the specific town where yourancestor lived, the county it was in, and thejurisdictions where records were kept.

Gazelleers are also helpful for determining countyJUrIsdIctIons as used in the Family History LibraryCatalog.

For genealogical purposes, the best Englishlanguage gazetteer lists all the counties (Nomos),dIstrIcts (Eparhia), diocese (Mitropo/is), and mostof the municipalities (Dimos/Koinotis) of Greece:

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Catsakis, Lica H. (Bywater). Greek Gazetteer. Vol.I. Salt Lake City, Utah: Lica H. Catsakis(Bywater), 1997. (FHL book 949.5 E5c;computer number 0794460). This book isprimarily based on the 1974 gazelleer listedunder "Finding Place Names in the FamilyHistory Library Catalog" below.

This is the first volume of a three volume set. Thesecond volume will include all locality names,hsting the municipality, district, county, anddiocese they belong to. It will include informationabout jurisdictional changes made in 1999 whenall the communities were absorbed intomunicipalities. The third volume will includelocality name changes.

Another gazelleer in English is:

Greece: Official Standard Names Approved by theu.s. Board on Geographic Names. WashingtonD.C.: U.S. Printing Office, 1960. (FHL book949.5 E5u; film 0873795, item I; fiche6053510; computer number 0264691.)

This gazelleer lists alphabetically the name of allthe localities and geographic features in Greecetransliterated to the English alphabet. Non- 'standard names and names that have been changedare followed by a "see" reference to the standardspelling. This book does not list the county ordistrict a particular location belongs to, but it doesgive geographic coordinates and a five-digit codethat indicates the region where it is located.

Changes in Place Names

Place names have changed over time. Some placenames based on other languages such as Turkishhave been changed to Greek names. Also, someolder forms of town names have been modernizedas recently as the 1980s. For example, the city ofAthens was spelled Athinai formerly and is nowspelled Athina. In early records the place namesmay be wrillen differently from today. For someresearch purposes, such as correspondence, it isuseful to learn modem jurisdictions for the areawhere your ancestors lived. This may also behelpful when finding the ancestral town onmodem maps.

Some gazetteers list place names in the older form.The following gazelleer includes cross referencesfor towns that have had name changes, and it listslocalities in Greece as they were in 1937:

(Stefi1l1ou, Grigorios).

(Plires Geografikon Lexikon tis Ellados ­Complete Gazetteer ofGreece). Athens:Vivliopoleion Oikou Mich. Saliverou, 1937.

MAPSG 105 .US3x

no. 11

(FHL film 1181601, item 4; computernumber 0032530.)

Words and abbreviations that you will generallytind in the above gazetteers include the following:

Finding Place Names in the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog

Information given in this gazetteer includes adescription, the district, the county, and other data,including population statistics as of about 1935.

The International Genealogical Index isavailable on microfiche and on compact disc

The sources mentioned in this section are listed inthe Family History Library Catalog under:

• International Genealogical Index. The indexprovides names and vital information fordeceased persons. This information was mostlysubmitted by members of the LOS Church.Although only a limited number of personsfrom Greece are listed in this index, it is worthchecking. This research tool lists birth,christening, or marriage dates.

The Family History Library has several sourcesthat contain previous research or can lead you toothers who are interested in sharing familyinformation. These sources include:

The term genealogy is used in this outline and inthe Family History Library Catalog to describevarious records containing family informationgathered by individuals, researchers, societies, orarchives. These records may include pedigreecharts, compiled information on families,correspondence, ancestor lists, research exchangefiles, record abstracts, and collections of originalor copied documents. These can be excellentsources of information and may save you valuabletime. Because they are not original records but arecompiled from other sources, they should becarefully evaluated for accuracy.

GENEALOGY

GREECE-GAZETTEERS

(Lexikon ton Dimon, Koinotitonkai Oikismon tis Ellados - Dictionwy ofMunicipalities, Communities and Settlements ofGreece). Athens: Ethniki Statistiki Ypircsia tisEllados, 1974. (FHL book 949.5 E5e 1974;film 1184078, item 3; computer number0000086.) An introduction in English is foundin the front of the Family History Library'scopy of this book.

To use this gazetteer, start with part II II),which lists all localities (villages, towns, andcities) in alphabetical order. After each locality,the name of the municipality it belongs to will belisted followed by the district (eparhia), county(nomos), the altitude, and the population as of1971. You can look up further information aboutthe locality by looking at the municipality orcommunity in part I.

Major Collections and Databases

altitudealtitudekilometersvillagepolice

Englishseemunicipalitiescourtdistrict

KOt

xwpiov

Kat.

Katv.

Greek

district (eparhia)surface in square

kilometersresidentscommunity (koinotis)communitiesdiocesediocesecounty (nomos)county (nomos)localities, townspopulationpopulationcapitalcourtpost office

Because of the many changes in place names, theFamily History Library uses one gazetteer as thestandard guide for listing places in the FamilyHistory Library Catalog. Regardless of the names aplace may have had at various times, all Greekplaces are listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog by the name that appears in:

Place names in the Family History Library Catalogare listed under the modern names and currentcounties. To find the county that a town is filedunder in the Family History Library Catalog, youcan usc the "see" references at the beginning of thefirst microfiche of Greece in the Family HistoryLibrary Locality Catalog. If you are using thecatalog on compact disc, usc the "LocalityBrowse." The computer will tind places with thatname.

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Internet

On the Internet, you can find research tips andinformation about ancestors from Greece in manysources at local, provincial, national, andinternational levels. The list of sources is growingrapidly. Most information is available at no cost.

Information and guides are available on theInternet for research in Greece. Sites that includeinformation about maps, directories, and othersubjects are found in various sections of thisoutline. General sites that act as an index to manyinteresting Greek genealogical sites on the Internetinclude:

Locate other researchersPost queriesSend and receive e-mailSearch large databasesSearch computer 1ibrariesJoin in computer chat and lecture sessionsObtain information about records andrepositoriesAccess research and language aids

Greek Genealogy Section of Hellenes­Diaspora:http://www.licacatsakis.com

Greek GenWeb Project:http://www.rootsweb.com/~grcwgw/

Family History Library home page:http://www.familysearch.org

Cyndi's List of Genealogical Sites:http://www.cyndislist.com/greece.htm

Internet site addresses can change often, so if youfind one of these sites has moved or has beendiscontinued, try accessing a search engine andentering the subject of the former site.

• Greek Telephone Directories (White Pages,and Yellow Pages, in Greek or in English):www.hellasyellow.gr

The Internet is a valuable tool for findinginformation on genealogical resources,coordinating research, and finding out whatresearch may have already been done. Most oftheinformation on the Internet is compiled fromsecondary sources and must be verified, but it mayprovide good clues and identify new sources tosearch. The Internet, certain computer bulletinboards, and commercial online services helpfamily history researchers:

The Family History Library has a few publishedGreek family histories. Copies of these are listed inthe surname section of the Family History LibraryCatalog. Not every name found in a family historywill be listed; only the major surnames discussedin the family history are included in the catalog.

Family Histories

Many Greek family histories are listed in a helpfulbibliography of Greek family histories:

Some Greek families have produced histories ornewsletters that may include genealogicalinformation, biographies, photographs, and otherexcellent information. These usually includeseveral generations of the family.

• Family Group Records Collection. More than 8million family group record forms have beenmicrofilmed in the Family Group RecordsCollection. The two major sections are theArchive Section and the Patrons Section. Aspecial collection of Greck family group sheetsis part of the Archive Section and can be foundon FHL film 1281098 (computer number0291768). The film numbers for both sectionsare listed in the Author/Title section of theFamily History Library Catalog under "FamilyGroup Records Collection."

1800-1997 (Elliniki Genealogiki Bibliografia ­Greek Genealogical Bibliography 1800-1997).Athinai: D.A. Maurideros, 1998. (FHL book949.5 D2m; computer number 0827319.) Thislists genealogical publications alphabeticallyby the name ofthe author. It does not have asurname index.

Ancestral File. This file, part of FamilySearch,contains family history information linked infamily groups and pedigrees that have beencontributed since 1979. By 1992 the filecontamed millions of names, mcludmg those ofmany Greek families. Through Ancestral Fileyou can print pedigree charts, family grouprecords, and individual summary sheets for anyperson in the file. However, be aware that allinformation has been submitted by volunteers,so some of it may not be correct.

as part of FamilySearch™ This index can besearched by surname. The microfiche copy ofthe catalog is divided by country, so you willneed to check the fiche from Greece.

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Genealogical Collections

A book giving genealogical information onprominent Greek families, including family treesis the following: '

Sturdza, Mihail-Dimitri. Dictionnaire historique etdes grandesfamilles de Grece.

d 'Albanie et de Constantinople (Historical andGenealogical Dictionary of the ImportantFamilies of Greece. Albania. andConstantinople). Paris: L'Auteur, 1983. (FHLbook 949.5 D5s; computer number 0191172.)Includes an alphabetical index of family namesat the end.

Books from the towns of Petrina (in the county ofLakonias) and Laukos (in the county of Magnisias)include genealogical infonnation on families wholived there. Also some of the families of Hios (inHiou), Ikaria (in Samou), and the island ofZakynthos appear in published books. A nicegenealogy of the Kantakouzinou family fromancient times is also available. Such genealogiescan be found in the Family History Library Catalogunder:

GREECE-GENEALOGYGREECE, [COUNTY] - GENEALOGYGREECE, [COUNTY], [TOWN] -

GENEALOGY

If you find your surname in any of the sourcesdescribed in this section, detennine whether theentry actually pertains to your family. All personswith the same surname are not necessarily related.Often, you will have to do some original researchbefore you can connect your ancestry to familieslisted in these sources.

HERALDRY

Coats of arms were given during Byzantine timesin Greece. Some Greeks abroad obtained titles inother countries of Europe. Also some territories,such as the Ionian Islands, had some forms ofheraldry while under other governments. However,in modern times titles and coats of arms have notbeen recognized in Greece.

An organization that has been very involved withheraldry in Greece is the Heraldic andGenealogical Society of Greece

located at:

Heraldic and Genealogical Society of Greece3dr Septemvriou Street 56Mouscion, AthensGREECE

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Various authors in Greece have prepared armorialor heraldry books. An armorial is a collection ofdescriptions of coats of arms and the families thatbear or use them. It also briefly describes theirentitlement to that coat of arms. It may also noteearly bearers of that coat of arms, sometimes withrelationships, birth dates, and other genealogicalinformation. Each armorial will differ from othersand will include different names. Some minornoble families are not included in any hooks.Examples of these published books for the countyof Kerkyras and the island of Zakynthos include:

(loannisTypaldos-Laskaratos).

lov(ou (Ta Oikosimatou Archeiou tis loniou Gerousias - The Coatsof Arms in the archives of the Ionian Senate).Athinai: Eraldiki kai Genealogiki EtairiaEllados, 1982. (FHL book 949.55 D6tj; film1181765, item 10; computer number 0425087.)

(loannisTypaldos-Laskaratos).

17Kat(Oikosima tis Zakynthou apo ton kodika 17 tislstorikis kai Ethnologikis Etaireias tis Ellados- Heraldry of the 17 Codicilsofthe Historic and Ethnologic Society ofGreece). Athinai: Istoriki kai EthnologikiEtaireia tis Ellados, 1988. (FHL book949.55/Z1 D6t; computer number 0578434.)Includes heraldry from Zakynothos Island, alsocalled Zante.

The Heraldic and Genealogical Society of Greecealso has a journal which may be useful in thestudy of Greek heraldry:

Kat(Deltion Eraldikis kai

Genealogikis Etairias Ellados - Bulletin oftheHeraldic and Genealogical Society of Greece).Athinai: Ekdosis Eraldikis kai GenealogikisEtairias Ellados, 1979-. (FHL book 949.5D25d; computer number 0047412.)

Armorials can be found in the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog under:

GREECE-HERALDRYGREECE, [COUNTY], - HERALDRY

See the "Nobility" section of this outline.

Greece is traditionally divided into 10 regions:

HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY

The county (nomos) is the most importantsubdivision to know for genealogical research.You will need to know this jurisdiction for thetown your ancestor was from to find genealogicalrecords.

An important book listing information concerningthe creation and development of municipalities andcommunities in Greece from 1836-1939 and thechanges in the governmental division of thecountry of Greece is:

Effective family research requires someunderstanding of the historical events that mayhave affected your family and the records aboutthem. Learning about wars, governments, laws,migrations, and religious trends may help youunderstand political boundaries, familymovements, and settlement patterns. These eventsmay have led to the creation of records such asland and military documents that mention yourfamily.

The eastern Mediterranean is called one ofthecradles of civilization. From 3000-2000 B.C. aMinoan civilization flourished on the island ofCrete. From 1400-1100 B.C. the Myceansestablished kingdoms in Peloponnesus. Followingthat was a period of strong city-states. A fusion ofthe Greek and Persian cultures under Alexanderthe Great created the Hellenistic civilization.Some subsequent key dates and events in thehistory of Greece are as follows:

Systaseos kai Exelixeos ton Dimon Kaikoinotiton /836-/939, kai tis dioikitikisdiaireseos lou kra!ous - Records Concerningthe Creation and Development ofMunicipalities and Communities 1836-1939,and the Administrative Division of theCountry) Athinai: Grafikai Tcchnai, 1939.(FHL book 949.5 N2d; film 1045436 item 12;computer number 0265157.)

HISTORY

B.C. 146 Rome conquered Greece

A.D. 285 Rome divided with two capitals onein Rome and one in Byzantium(Greek city later renamedConstantinople)

1453 Constantinople fell to the Turks andbecame the capital of the OttomanEmpire

1821 Greek war of independence againstOttoman rule began

1827 Greek independence achieved

1832 Monarchy established over Greece

1863 Ionian Islands ceded to Greece byGreat Britain

1881 Thessaly and part of Epirus ceded toGreece by Turkey

1913 Crete, Macedonia, and the AegeaIslands ceded to Greece by Turkey

Englishcountydistrictmunicipalitycommunity

Transli teratednomoseparhiadimoskoinotis

Greek

KQt

e. 1.(Alex. Th. Drakaki and Styl. l. Koundourou).

/836-/939,(Archeia peri tis

Central GreecePeloponnesusThessalyMacedoniaEpirusThracc

• CreteAegian IslandsIonian IslandsMount Athos

Greece has 53 counties (nomos), eachadministratively divided into several districts(eparhias). The local government is administeredeither by a municipality (dimos) or community(koinotis, sometimes called koinotita), dependingon the size and status of the city or town. Amunicipality is governed by a local mayor. Acommunity is governed by a local communitypresident. Communities were dissolved and nowthere are no more community presidents, onlymayors. Records are located mainly in offices ofthe municipality or community; however, somemay be found in the offices of the county ordistrict

These regions each have names in Greek, Turkish,and English. For example, Peloponnesus is knownas Peloponnisos in Greek and Morias in Turkish.Although these regions are often referred to byGreeks when saying where they are from, themajor administrative subdivisions in Greece are:

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InternetAvailable inCamp room

1918 Western Thrace ccdcd to Greece byBulgaria

1920 Eastern Thracc and part of AsiaMinor granted to Greece

1923 Eastern Thrace and part of AsiaMinor returncd to Turkey

1947 Dodccancsc Islands ceded 10 Greeceby Italy

1973 Monarchy abolished; Greeccdeclarcd a republic

1981 Greece became tcnth member of theEuropean Community

The Family History Library has some publishednatIOnal, rcgional, and local histories for Greece.You can find histories in the Family HistoryLIbrary Catalog under one of the following:

EUROPE - HISTORYGREECE - HISTORYGREECE, [COUNTY] - HISTORYGREECE, [COUNTY], [CITY] - HISTORY

You ean easily find general histories for Greece atlocal public libraries or in major research libraries.

Local Histories

Local histories can also be valuable sources forfamily history research. They describe thesettlement of the area and the founding ofchurches, schools, and businesses. You may alsofind lists of soldiers and civil officials. Even ifyour ancestor is not listed, information on otherrelatives may be included that will provideimportant clues for locating the ancestor. A localhistory may also lead to clues for other records tosearch.

In addition, you should study and enjoy localhistories for the background information they canproVIde about your family's lifestyle and thecommunity in which your family lived.

The Family History Library has some localhistories for towns in Greece. Similar histories areoftcn available at major public and universitylibraries and archives, as well. Local town hallsusually have such histories or can direct you to thesource where you can obtain them.

Bibliographies that list local histories are availablefor some arcas in Greece. These are listed in theFamily History Library Catalog under:

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GREECE - BIBLIOGRAPHYGREECE, [COUNTY] - BIBLIOGRAPHYGREECE - HISTORY - BIBLIOGRAPHYGREECE, [COUNTY] - HISTORY -

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Calendar Changes

The Gregorian calendar is the calendar in commonusc in the world today. It is a correction of theJulian calendar that had been in use since A.D. 46.Leap ycars had been miscaleulated in the Juliancalendar. By 1582, the calendar was 10 daysbehind the solar year.

The Julian calendar changed to the Gregoriancalender in Greece in 1923-1924, at which timethe calender was changed 13 days to bring it inline with the solar year.

Some records kept during Ottoman rule or kept byGreek communities in Asia Minor used theOttoman calendar, which calculates time from the"flight of Mohammad" on 16 July 622. It is a lunarcalendar and the first day of the year variesconsiderably from year to year. To make thisequate to our modern calendar, 622 years must beadded to the Ottoman calendar (for example, 1200IslamIC corresponds to 1822-1823 Gregorian). Forexact correspondences of dates, use conversiontables such as in the following book:

Freeman-Grenville, G.S.P. The Muslim andChristian Calendars. New York: OxfordUniversity Prcss, 1963. Tables for theconversion of Muslim and Christian dates fromthe Hajra to the year A.D. 2000.

A wonderful conversion calendar that convertsdays from our modem Gregorian calendar to thcJulian and Muslim calendars and vice versa isfound at the following Internet address:

www.bennyhills.fortunecity.com/elfman/454/calindex.html

When the French Empire undcr Napoleoncontrolled parts of Greece, such as the Ionianislands, another calendar was introduced. Thiscalendar, based on the founding of the FrenchRepublic, used a system of months unrelated tothe regular calendar. You may find some recordsthat use that calendar. If so, see FrenchRepublican Calendar (34046).

LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES

Most matcrials used in Greek research are writtenin Greek. However, you do not need to speak orread Greek to research Greek records. You will

need to know the Greek alphabet and some keywords and phrases to understand the records.

Many of the records ofthe Catholic church arealso in Latin and Italian, and some military recordsduring the period of King Otto are in German. Usethe following to help with reading these records:

Latin Genealogical Word List (34077)Italian Genealogical Word List (34071)German Genealogical Word List (34067)

There are several forms of the Greek language:

Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, and ByzantineGreek are not seen in genealogy.

Official Greek, Katharevusa (kathareuousa),was used in the nineteenth and twentiethcenturies until the late 1960s.

Popular Greek, Demotic (dimotiki), was used inolder records of the sixteenth, seventeenth, andeighteenth centuries.

Demotic Greek was established as the officiallanguage of the country in the 1970s.

The Greek language has its own alphabet of 24letters. The representation of Greek words in theLatin alphabet is called transliteration (sometimesreferred to as romanization).

No single system for transliterating Greek letters issatisfactory to everybody. The problem iscomplicated by tradition, phonetics, and politics.As a result of this, Greek place names and peoplenames may be spelled in various ways in differentsources you use in your Greek research. Forexample, Xavia may be spelled Hania or Chaniaor Khania depending on how the letters aretransliterated. This often makes it difficult tofigure out what the original Greek spelling mayhave been.

The United States Library of Congress developed asystem for their needs that has been accepted bymost American libraries, but it is impractical forrepresenting the names of people and places. Thesystem preferred for genealogical purposes allowsa letter-for-Ietter representation with less emphasison pronunciation. It can easily be used by personalcomputers and can easily be converted back toGreek letters so that the names will be spelledmostly the same as the original Greek. Followingis a list of the letters of the Greek alphabet, thepreferred method of transliteration for place namesand personal names, and alternative methods oftransliteration used:

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Greek Preferred OtherA a Aa

Vv Bbry Gg Yy

Dd Th, th, Dh dhEE Ec

ZzI i E e, e

Th, thI i

KK Kk CcLl

MmNv Nn

Xx Ks ks00 00

PpPp Rr Rh rh

S sTt

Tz tz JYv' Yy I i

Ff Ph ph

Xx Hh Ch ch, Kh khPs ps00

'When this letter follows another vowel (a, E, a l,it is transliterated as u.

Language Aids

A genealogical word list for Greek is found in thefollowing source:

Catsakis, Lica (Bywater) and Daniel M. Schlyter.Greek Genealogical Research. Salt Lake City,Utah: Greek Association of Family History andTradition (SIPEO), 1993 (45-50). (FHL book949.5 D27b; computer number 0699128.)

The following books and English-Greekdictionaries can also aid you in your research. Youcan find these and similar material at manyresearch libraries:

DivlY's New English-Greek and Greek-EnglishDictionary. Athens: Divres, 1959. (FHL film1183597, item 2; computer number 0444578.)

Jannaris, A.N. A Concise Dictionary ofthe Englishand Modern Greek Languages as ActuallySpoken. London: John Murray, 1895 [1956reprint]. (FHL book489.3321 J261c; film

1181682, item 2; computer mmlber1183597.)

For additional language aids, including dictionariesof various dialects and time periods, chcck theFamily History Library Catalog in the localitysection or in the subject scction under:

GREECE - LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGESGREEK LANGUAGE - DICTIONARIES

MAPS

Maps arc an important sourcc to locate the placcswhere your ancestors lived. They help you sec thcneighboring towns and geographic features of thearca your ancestor came from. Some Grcek mapsindicate the county (nol11os).

Maps locate places, geographical fcatures,transportation routcs, and proximity to othertowns. Historical maps are especially uscful forundcrstanding boundary changes.

Maps are published individually or as an atlas. (Anatlas IS a bound collection of maps.) Maps mayalso be mcluded m gazctteers, guidebooks localhistories, and history texts. '

There arc different types of maps that will helpyou in differcnt ways. Historical atlases describethe growth and development of countries. Theyshow boundaries, migration routes, settlementpatterns, military campaigns, and other historicalinformation. Road atlases are uscful because of thedetail they provide.

Using Maps

Maps must bc used carefully for the followingreasons:

Oftcn several places have the same namc. Forexamplc, there are six towns called Loutron inpresent-day Greece, two of them in the samecounty (Larisis) but different districts(Elassonos and Larisis).

The spelling, or evcn the names, of some townsmay havc changed since your ancestors livedthere. For cxample, the town presently knownas Pelasgia was named Gardiki until thc 1930s.Some localities have different names indifferent languages. For example, Kerkvra isknown as Corlil in foreign languages..

Place names are oftcn misspelled in varioussources and the spellings may have been badlychanged in transliteration. For example, Himmay be found as Khios or Chios on some maps.

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Administrative boundaries such as countiesand districts arc not clearly indicated on allmaps. Government maps will usually showsuch information while othcr maps may not.

FInding the Specific Town on the Map

To be successful researching your Greek ancestry,you must identify the town where your ancestorlived. Because many towns have the same name,you may need some additional information beforeyou can locatc the correct town on a map. Beforeusmg a map, search gazetteers, histories, familyrceords, and other sources to learn all you canabout the following:

The district your ancestor's town was inThe county your ancestor came fromName of the town where your ancestor wasbaptized or marriedTowns where your ancestor's rclatives livedThe size of the townNearby localities, such as large citiesNearby features, such as rivers and mountainsDates when the town was renamedDates the town existedOther names the town was known by

You can use gazetteers to identify the district andcounty your ancestor's town was in. This willdistinguish it from other towns of the same nameand help you locate it on a map. See the '"Gazetteers" section of this outline.

Finding Maps and Atlases

Collections of maps and atlases are available atnumerous historical societies and at public anduniversity libraries.

The Family History Library has some good Greekmaps and atlases. Thcse are listed in the FamilyHistory Library Catalog under:

GREECE - MAPS

The best detailed maps of Greece arc published bythe Greek government and usually show countyand district boundaries. A very good Germanmilitary map also includes Greece (scaleI:200,000) and uses the Roman alphabet:

Generalkarte von Milteleuropa (General Maps oj'Middle Europe). Wicn: Bundesamt fur Eich-'und Vermessungswcscn, 1889-1967. (FHLmaps 940 E7bm; film 1181580, item I;computer number 0041480.)

Another cxcellent map of Greecc shows placenames m the Grcck alphabet (scale 1:200,000):

Elias (Greece). Athinai: Ethniki Statistiki Ypiresiatis Ellados, 1963. (FHL maps 949.5 E7e;computer number 0264943.)

A gazetteer of Greece that goes with the abovemap is also available:

Records ofleave

Records of military service in Greece are kept bythe government in various archivc locations. TheFamily History Library has some military rccords,for the nineteenth century and more recently.

Maps ofGrcece can also be found on the Internet:

The armed forces records you may find include:

MILITARY RECORDS

Elias (Greece) Athinai: Ethniki Statistiki Ypiresiatis Ellados, 1965. (FHL book 949.5 E5g;computer number 0412938.)

Greecc was involved in the following militaryactions:

To use Greek military records, dctermine the ycaryour ancestor would have been called to service(whcn he was 21 years old). Males arc listed inrecords by the year they come of age for militaryscrvice. You must also know at Icast the townwhere your ancestor was born.

Military History

1365- Ottoman Empire conquercd Greece1453

1770- Albanian troops dispatched by1779 Ottoman Empire to crush rebellion in

Peloponnesus

1821 War oflndependence (Revolution)officially declared on 25 March

1821- Revolution in Greece centered at1829 Peloponnesus but involved all of

present-day Greece. Ottomans gainedEgypt as an ally. England, France, andRussia supported Greek Independcnce,which was achievcd in September1829.

1854- Crimcan War1856

1841- Revolts against the Ottomans in Crete1897

1877- Russo-Turkish War1878

Oct First Balkan War; Ottoman empire1912 forced from Macedonia

1913 Second Balkan War; the Balkan statesfight over division of Macedonia. Warwith Bulgaria.

1917- World War I; Greece defeats Bulgaria,1919 gains territory in Thrace.

1921- Greek-Turkish war settled territorial1923 issues and provided for compulsory

exchange of populations

www.geoeities.com/Athens/Parthenon/4773/MAPS.html

Military records give information about anancestor's military carecr, such as promotions,places served, pensions, and conduct. In addition,these records usually include infonnation about hisage, birthplace, residence, occupation, physicaldcscription, and family members.

Evidence that an ancestor served in the armcdforces beyond the required term of servicc may befound in family records, biographies, census,probate records, and civil registration.

Military records identify individuals who served inthe armed forces or who were eligible for service.All men are required to serve in the anned forcesin Greecc when 21 years of age. Attempting toescape military scrvice is punishable by death. Insome cases the scrvice obligation may bepostponed for higher education. At certain periods,the first son of a family in which the father wasdeceased or where there were many children wasexcused as a prostatis (protector [of family]).Somc may also have been excused due to healthreasons or handicaps. These exceptions had to bcnoted in the records.

Not only does this book give tbe references towhere a place can be found on the map, but it alsolists for cach locality: the municipality orcommunity, district, and county it belongs to, thepopulation as of 1961, and the altitude above sealevel. On pagc 7 of the gazetteer arc instructions inEnglish on how to use thc rcferences to find aplace on the map.

Draft listsPersonncl filesRegimental account books

• Pay vouchers and rccords• Pension records

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1940- World War II; Greece occupied by1944 German-Italian-Bulgarian forces,

1941-1944

1944- Civil War, started in Athens and1949 spread throughout the mountainous

regions of Greece

Additional military histories may be obtainedthrough pnblic and university libraries.

Military Records of Genealogical Value

The main source of military records is the Ministryof Defense (YpOllrgeion Ethnikis Amynis).Although there may be many types of militaryrecords available in Greek archives andrepositories, only a few have been microfilmed andarc available through the Family History Library,including marriage and death records, draftregisters, and pension records.

Marriage Contracts, Deaths, and so on. Duringthe period of King Otto, a Bavarian ruler, recordsof marriage, divorce, and deaths were kept mGerman and Greek. These records cover a periodfrom the 1830s-1860s and are listed in the catalogunder:

GREECE - MILITARY RECORDS

Draft Registers. Some registers ofmales, draftrecords, and pension records from the nineteenthand twentieth centuries have been microfilmed andare available through the Family History Library.For example, there are records of military fromNauplion and Halkis. For such records, refer to theFamily History Library Catalog.

A copy of the 1883 draft list of Greece, organizedby county, district, and municipality, gives a man'sfull name and his father's name:

Drafi List, /883. Athinai: National HistoricalArchives (Genika Archeia tou Kratous - GAK),n.r (FHL film 1039000 items 6-9; computernumber 0771547.)

Pension Records. Records of military pensionshave been filmed from the National HistoricalArchives in Athens:

Militar Pensionen 1836-1862 (Militwy Pensions1836-1862). Athens: National HistoricalArchives (Genika Archeia tou Kratous - GAK),n.r (FHL 1038740 item 2-1038844 item 2;computer number 0454822.) Records inGerman and Greek.

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Militarv Pensions 1863-1898. Athens: NationalHistorical Archives (Genika Archeia touKratous - GAK), n.r (FHL films 1038724 item2-1038740 item 1; computer number0454792.)

MINORITIES

Minorities make up about three percent of thepopulaliou of Greece. The minorities areconcentrated in the northern regions that werehistorically inhabited by mixed populations andwere subjected to many foreign invasions. In 1923large population exchanges with Turkey andBulgaria brought in an additional 1,525,000Greeks and removed large numbers of Turks andSlavs from the country. Pockets of Turks andSlavs were left in Thrace and Macedonia afterthese population exchanges. Other minoritiesinclude Vlachs, Armenians, Albanians, Jews, andGypsies.

It's important to learn the history of the ethnic,racial, and religious groups your ancestorsbclonged to. For example, you might study ahistory of the Jews in Greece, Armemans mGreece, or Vlachs in Epirus. This historicalbackground can help you identify wherc yourancestors lived and when they lived there, wherethey migrated, the types of records they might belisted in, and other information to help youunderstand your family's history.

For most minorities in Greece, some uniquerecords and resources are available. These includehistories, gazetteers, biographical sources,settlement patterns, and handbooks.

The Family History Library collects records ofthese groups, especially published histories. Theseare listed in the Family History Library Cataloglocality section under:

GREECE - MINORITIESGREECE, [COUNTY] - MINORITIESGREECE - JEWISH HISTORY

Other sources are also in the "Subject" section ofthe Family History Library Catalog under thename of the minority, such as Armenians,Albanians, or Jews. Some sources are listcd under:

[MINORITY] - GREECE

Following is a short description of each ofthemain minority groups in Greece. For infornaationabout Jews in Greece, see the "Jewish Records"section of this outline.

Turks

Turks are the largest minority group in Greece.The Turkish population in Greece during theOttoman rule was not large and comprised mostlyof government officials, soldiers, and farmlandowners. Greece obtained tcrritory from Turkcyin 1913 and 1919. In 1923 a half million Turks inGreece wcre exchanged for one and a half millionGreeks from Turkcy. There arc about 250,000Turks in Greece today. The Turkish population isabout half Moslem and half Greek Orthodox. Mostarc tobacco farmers on the Thrace plains. A fewthousand are residents ofthe Dodecanese Islands,acquired from Italy in 1947.

Slavs

Slavic tribes began scttling in Macedonia in thesixth century. When Greecc obtained Macedonianterritory from Turkey in 1913, a number of Slavicpeople came under Greck rule. There are Christianand Muslim Slavs in Macedonia, the latter beingmore closely affiliated with the Bulgarians. In the1923 population exchange, 25,000 Greeks wereexchanged for 50,000 Slavs. The few remainingSlavs in Grccce are located almost cntirely inGreek Macedonia, but are now classificd as Greekswhose mother tongue is Slavic.

Albanians

Albanians were brought to Grcece as mercenariesby the Byzantine rulers, and as invited colonists ofthe duchy of Athens to colonize Attika andVoiotia.

Greeks desccnded from Albanians and belongingto the Greek Orthodox religion now reside mainlyIn rural areas near Athens, the northeasternPeloponnesus, and the nearby Acgean islands.These Albanians have mostly assimilated into thcGrcek population. Most arc entirely Greek­speaking, but some 25,000 still speak Albanian inthe homc. In the northeast, near the Albanianborder, there is a group of Moslem Albaniansknown as Chamurian Moslcms.

Armenians

Armenia lies between the Black Sea and theCaspian Sea. Since the demise of their kingdom,the Armenians have spread into Turkey, Syria,Greece, and throughout thc world. Armeniansbcgan settling in Greece before the eleventhcentury. After the War of Independence, theAnnenians of Greece rapidly adopted the languageand culture of the Greeks and intermarried withthem. The Armenians in Greece today are refugeesor descendants of those who fled Turkey into

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Greece in 1895-1896 and 1914-1918, as well asin the 1920s when the most Armenians settled inGreece.

Census records for Armenians in Greece arediscussed in thc "Censns" section of this outline.Other records from the Armenian archivcs inAthens and Thessaloniki have also been filmed,including many Armenian church records.

Jews

Jews have bcen in Grcece in small numbers sinceancient times. Thessaloniki (Salonika) was thehistoric center of Jewish activity in Greece. In thethirteenth century, Ashkenazic Jews immigrated toThcssaloniki from Poland, France, and Italy. Thcmain influx took place in thc fifteenth century andlater as Sephardic Jews, expelled from Spain in1492, werc attracted by the religious tolcranceoffered under Turkish rule. Thc language theybrought-Ladino, a modified form of Spanish-isstill spoken by modern Greck Jews.

Many Greek Jews movcd to Palestine after WorldWar J. The Jewish population was reduced fromabout 100,000 to a few thousand during WorldWar II. By 1943 most Jews had been forciblyremoved to concentration camps in Poland. Mostof thesc perished in the Holocaust and survivorshave mostly settled in Israel. The fcw remainingJews in Greece are centered at Thessaloniki.

Because Jews were Greek citizens, civilregistration records include Jewish people (see the"Civil Registration" section of this outline).Although copies of Jewish synagoguc recordsfrom Greece arc not currently available at theFamily History Library, some published books arcavailable that might be helpful in gainingbackground information about these communities.See the Family History Library Catalog under"Jewish Records" and "Jewish History."

Gypsies

The Gypsies are an independent, itinerant peoplewho spread from the Balkans and the Middle Eastthroughout Europe. They speak a language calledRomany. Gypsies first appeared in Greece in thefourteenth century. They generally adopted thereligion of the rulers: Islam under the Ottomansand Christianity under the Greeks. Greece hasabout 10,000 Gypsies. The majority lead awandering life, earning their living in black­smithing and other metal work, animal trading,fortune-telling, and public entertainment.

NAMES, PERSONAL

Understanding surnames and given names can helpyou find and identify your ancestors in the records.Because names sometimes changed for manyfamilies throughout time, it is important to knowsome of the customs concerning naming practicesin Greece.

Surnames

Before record keeping began, most people hadonly one name, such as John. As the populationincreased, it became necessary distinguish amongindividuals with the same name. The problem wasusually solved by adding descriptive information.John became John the smith, John the son ofMatthew, John the short, or John the Athenian. Atfirst, surnames applied only to one person and notto the whole family. After a few generations, thesenames became hereditary.

Surnames developed from the following majorsources:

Patronymic, based on a parent's given nameand an addcd suffix meaning "son of" or"little." The ending -opouJos is most commonin the Peleponnese area. Thus John the son ofNicholas would be loannis Nikolopoulos. Thepossessive case (-ou) was also often used as apatronymic resulting in names such asGrigoriou from Grigorios. Other patronymicendings include: -akis (from Crete); -akos, -las,-eas (from the Mani region of southPeloponnesus); -atos (from Kefallinia); -elis(from Lesvos); -ikis, -ikas, -akas (fromThessalia); -oudis (from northern Greece); and-idis (from Asia Minor).

Occupational, based on the person's trade,include the following: Raptis (tailor), Papoutsis(shoemaker), Mylonas (miller), Mylonatos orMylonopoulous (son of the miller), Karvounis(coal man), Kapetanidis (son of ship captain),Anagnostopoulos (son of the acolyte, assistantpriest), Sakellariou (son of the Sakellarios, aByzantine ecclesiastical title), Kaffetzis (coffeehouse owner), Kaltsis (stockings, probably onewho sold stockings), and Ktcnas (comb,probably one who sold or made combs). Thename Karampinopoulos (son of a gun)probably rcferred to thc son of one who borearms. Priests ofthe Orthodox Church marriedand had families. Their children's surnamesoften begin with Papa- (Priest) and are amongthe most common in Greece.

Descriptive or nickname, based on a uniquequality of the person, such as Mauros (black)

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for a person with black hair, dark complexion,or pcrhaps one who wore black clothing. Othcrsuch Grcek names include Kontos (short),Spanos (beardless), Spanidis or Spanopoulos(son of the beardless one), Xanthakos (blond),Kokkinis (red), Karapaulakis (son of dark­haired Paul), Galanis (blue-eyed), Katsaros(curly), Makris (long), and Koutsogiorgos(lame George). Other names reflect personalitytraits such as: l.eventis (brave, honorable),Onassis (uscful), Katsoufis (never cheerful),Markogiannis (clever John), and Leontidis(lion's son).

Geographical, based on a person's placc oforigin, such as Kritikos (Crctan),Thessalonikios (ofThessalonika), Souliotis (ofSouli, a region in the Epirus mountains),Arvanitis (Albanian), and Nisiotis (from theislands). From a name such as Kypros(Cyprus) can be formed several names:Kypraios, Kypraiou, Kypriadis, Kypriotis,Kypriotakis, and Kyprizoglou. A name such asVlahos could refcr to the Vlach people(minority ethnic group from the Pindusmountains) or from the occupation of ashepherd, which was the traditional occupationof this people.

Foreign terms, from Turkish, Spanish, Italian,Albanian, and Slavic, could have beenmodified into a Greek surname: Karas(Turkish: black), Paras (Turkish: moncy),Lekes (Turkish: mark, stain), Katsakis(Turkish: fugitive, escapee), Delapatridis(Italian: of the homeland), and Kolias(Albanian for Nikolaos).

Surnames were first used by the nobility andwealthy land owners. Later the custom wasfollowed by merchants and townspeople andeventually by the rural population. This processtook two or thrce centuries.

Tn the Balkan peninsula, the practice of adoptingfixed family surnames developed earlier(Byzantine times) than in Western Europe.

Family ties arc very important in Greece andextend beyond the immediate family. Familysurnames came to be applied to these extendedfamilies or elans. This practice developedgradually from the time of the Byzantine empire.

Even after surnames began to be used, a singlegiven name was often all that was ever needed orused in everyday village life. On the other hand,the Greek custom of naming children after theirgrandparents soon led to many individuals in thesame community with the same names. NIcknames

were used to distinguish among persons with thesame name.

These nicknames devcloped just as the othersurnames had started-from fathers' names,occupations, or descriptions. For example, if therewere several individuals named Paulos in theDoukas family, one could be called Paulos Kontos(Paulos the short), another might be calledKarapaulos (black-haired Paulos), and anothermight be called Paulos Raptidis (Paulos the tailor'sson). The children of these individuals might takethe original Doukas surname or might take thenickname. In the next few generations there maybe so many individuals in the Karapaulos familywith the name loannis that the process starts overagam.

Changing names was not uncommon, especially invillages, until the mid-nineteenth century whenGreece won its independence from Turkey.Surnames became much more firmly fixed afterthat time; however, nicknames became such a partof Greek social life that they sometimes appear inofficial records. Nevertheless, the adoption of newsurnames still occasionally occurred as late as theearly I900s.

Most surnames have different endings when thebearer is male or female. For example, a man hasthe name (Papaioannis). His wife ordaughter would be: (Papaioannou).Some of the most common male and femaleendings include:

Male Male Female Female

Greek English Greek English

-os -ou -ou

-as -a

-es -E -e

-IS -QU -1, -ou

Grammatical endings can affect all Greek words,including the names of people and places.

Patronymics

All Greeks have a patronymic name in addition totheir surname. It is formed from the father's givenname and is used as a middle name. The father'sgiven name is listed in the possessive form. Forexample, Georgios, son of Nikolaos Kanakiswould be Georgios Nikolaou Kanakis and his sisterloanna would be loanna Nikolaou Kanaki.However, when a woman marries, not only her

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surname changes, but also her middle namechanges to her husband's given name.

Given Names

According to Greek tradition, a child's name ischosen by the godfather. The following patternmay be helpful in researching family groups anddetermining the parents of the mother and father:

The first male child was usually named for thefather's father.

The second boy was named for the mother'sfather.

The first female child was named for thefather's mother.

The second girl was named for the mother'smother.

Additional children were often named foruncles, other relatives, friends, or saints.

This pattern was not always followed as thegodfather chose the name, but it can sometimesgive clues for the names of grandparents. A son isnever named for his father unless the father diedprior to the child's birth. Likewise a daughter isnever named after her mother unless the motherdies in childbirth. If a child, especially the eldestson, dies young, then another son, born later,would usually be given the same name. If it lookedlike a young son would die, he might be named

(Theoharis), meaning "God's grace."

Most of the time when a man joined the clergy, hewould receive a new name. Ifhis given name were

(Sokratis), he might take the name(Paulos) or some other saint's name. The

ordained person is usually called by his surname(or new name) with the prefix (Papa-),indicating his title. For example, ifhis name were

(Sokratis Kanakis) and hisnew name were (Paulos), he would becalled (Pappapaulos) or

(Papakanakis), but never(Sokratis) nor

(Papasokratis).

Sometimes women were not known by their owngiven names but by a given name substitute. Forexample, the name Presvytera might be used in theplace of the priest's wife's name. It actually means"the wife of an elder." Another example is if awife is listed by the name of her husband with theending (-aina) or (-ina). A wife couldalso be listed by the surname of the husband as ifit were a given name. For example, a husband's

surname might be (Karalis), and hiswife's given name might be listed as(Karalina).

Also, for every Greek given name, there may existseveral variations or nicknames which may appearquite different. For example, the Greek equivalentto Catherine, (Aikaterini) may havethe following possible variations: (Kaiti),

(Katina), (Katerina),(Katilo), (Katinio). Likewise, the Greekequivalent to John, (Joannis) has at leastthe following variations: (Giannis),

(Giagkos), (Giannakos), and(Giannelos).

Some books are available that discuss names inGreece. A description of Greek naming practicesand given names is:

Greek Personal Names. Washington, D.C.: CentralIntelligence Agency, 1961. (FHL book 949.5D4u; film 1344072; computer number 0264687).

For descendants of a Greek immigrant to theUnited States, it may be a problem to determinethe actual name of an immigrant ancestor. Someimmigrants were so eager to be assimilated intoAmericao life, that they dropped their Greeknames and adopted American names. Given nameswere generally translated to their closestequivalents: Ioannis to John, Paulos to Paul,Euaggelia to Angela. Sometimes where there wasnot an equivalent English name, the new namedoes not represent the original name at all:Athanasios might have become Bill or Joe.

Surnames were likewise anglicized. Many weresimply shortened, as in cases where Papageorgiouor Papanikolaou became Papas, or Hristopoulos orNikolopoulos became Poulos, or Anagnostopoulosbecame Agnew (as in the family of a fonner vice­president of the United States). Sometimes onlythe spelling changed, as in Karydids to Caridis.The name may have been translated, as in Raptis toTaylor or loannatos to Johnson. The spelling mayhave also been changed so the name was easier topronounce, as in Grigoriou to Gregory.

NATURALIZATION ANDCITIZENSHIP

Naturalization is the process of grantingcitizenship privileges and responsibilities toresidents. Greek citizenship was generallyextended by individual cities to certain of theirinhabitants and did not pertain to the country as awhole. Until the twentieth century, only males ofthe middle or upper classes were grantedcitizenship.

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A citizen had privileges that included:

Rights to engage in business in a cityProtections under the law

• Pennission to reside in a city without beingexpelled

Citizenship records include infonnation about thecitizen, including names, ages, social andeconomic status, occupation and training, and,sometimes, birthplaces and relationships.

The original citizenship books are generally keptby the city and may be found in city archives orcity halls. Citizenship records from the GAK inAthens have been filmed:

l'v'aturalization ofImmigrants and SurnameChanges 1844-1899. Athens: NationalHistorical Archives (Genika Archeia touKratous - GAK), n.r (On 39 FHL filmsbeginning with 1038686 items 2-4; computernumber 0454789.)

Naturalization records in the United States may bean excellent source for determining the specifictown or city where your ancestor was born,especially records after 1906. (See the"Naturalization and Citizenship" section of theUnited States Research Outline [30972].) Table 4

NOBILITY

During the Byzantine years, the noble classfonned a small percent of Greece's population.The kings rewarded persons who performed heroicdeeds or notable achievements, or who heldprominent positions in government, by grantingthem a noble title.

During the Ottoman rule in Greece, Turkish titleswere given. Those who lived in foreign countriesof Europe may also have been given titles. Inmodern Greece titles of nobility are notrecognized. Still, the noble class has been anxiousto preserve their identity. This has led to thepublication of many noble lines, and references tonobility may be found in published or manuscriptgenealogies of noble families.

If your surname is one of those noble lines, youneed to prove relationship. Often those who werein the service of a noble man were called by thenobleman's surname. Later generations mightassume they were part of the nobleman's familywhen in reality they are related to servants of thatfamily.

See also the "Heraldry" and "Genealogy" sectionsof this outline. The Family History Library has

collected some published books on noble families.An example of a published genealogy on a noblefamily is the following:

Nicol, Donald M. The Byzantine Family ojKantakouzenos (Cantacuzenus) ca. 1100-1460:a Genealogical and Prosopographical Study.Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Center forByzantine Studies, 1968. (FHL book 949.5 D3n;computer number 0265244.)

Another published book at the Family HistoryLibrary lists noble families of Kerkyra from the1470s onward. Other published genealogies ofprominent noble families can be found in theFamily History Library Catalog under:

GREECE - NOBILITY

NOTARIAL RECORDS

In Greece, all legal transactions are recorded bynotary offices (Symvolaiograjeion). Notaries keptrecords such as dowry contracts (proikoa), wills(diathiki), and land transfer contracts. Some notaryoffices have files of contracts dating as early as1400.

These records arc kept in private notary offices.Access depends on the current notary. A fee willbe charged for copies of contracts.

Land records may also be found in a governmentland ownership office (Ypothikofylakeion). Theseoffices can be accessed only by attorneys.

The only notary records that are available at theFamily History Library are for the town of Argos,Argolidos, Greece from the nineteenth andtwentieth centuries.

PERIODICALS

Most genealogical and historical societies publishmagazines and newsletters. The articles ofteninclude the following:

Family genealogies and pedigrees

• Transcripts of church records, migration lists,and cemetery records

Helpful articles on research methodology

Information about local records, archives, andservIces

Book advertisements and book reviews

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Research advertisements

Queries or requests for information aboutspecific ancestors that can help you contactother interested researchers

North American Periodicals

There are societies of Greek immigrants fromvarious localities in Greece that publishperiodicals (see the "Societies" section of thisoutline). These arc often published quarterly andmay focus on the immigrants to a particularregion, county, or town.

A genealogical periodical that is helpful forgeneral Greek research information is publishedby the Greek Association of Family History andTradition (SIPEO):

Reezes: Newsletter orthe Greek Association ofFamily Hil'tory and Tradition (S1PEOj. SaltLake City, Utah: Greek Association of FamilyHistory and Tradition, 1992-. (FHL book 949.5D25r; film 2055161 item 48; computer number0581190.) This newsletter contains helpfularticles on research methodology; informationabout local records, archives and services; andbook reviews.

Greek Periodicals

Societies and organizations in Greece publishgenealogical periodicals in Greek. Much of theircontent is devoted to compiled genealogies ofnative families. They also are an excellent place topublish queries or advertisements regarding anancestor from Greece. An example of oneperiodical is:

(Deltion Eraldikis kai GenealogikisEtairias Ellados - Bulletin ofthe Heraldic andGenealogical Society of Greece). Athinai:Ekdosis Eraldikis kai Genealogikis EtairiasEllados, 1979-. (FHL book 949.5 D25d;computer number 0047412.)

In addition, publications arc available fromregional societies, and major archives withgenealogical collections will have copies of manyperiodicals, particularly those representing thearea they serve. The town halls of each townusually can provide information about thosesocieties and their locations. See also the"Societies" section of this outline.

PROBATE RECORDS

Probate records arc court records that describe thedistribution of a person's estate after he or shedies. Information in the records may include thedeath date, names of heirs and guardians,relationships, residences, an inventory of theestate, and names of witnesses.

Registration records, lists of students and theirgrades, and certificates from the early twentiethcentury have been filmed from the GeneralArchives of Nauplion for the county of Argolidosand can be found in the catalog under:

GREECE, ARGOLIDOS, [TOWN] ­SCHOOLS

Various wills, dowry contracts, settlements, andother such documents from the 1600s to the 1900swere included with church records ofthe Catholicchurch in the county of Kykladon, Greece. Thesecan be found in the Family History Library catalogunder:

School records from Asia Minor were brought toGreece by the refugees and were microfilmedthere. Thcse can be found in thc catalog underTurkcy.

SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS

GREECE, KYKLADON, [TOWN] - PROBATERECORDS

In other parts of Greece, such records weregenerally kept by a notary public (sec the "NotarialRecords" section in this outline).

The Greek Orthodox Church had the responsibilityof keeping probate records for Greek residents ofother eastern European countries during Ottomanrule. The Family History Library has microfilmedprobate records of Greeks in Albania in the Greekdiocese records. These can be found in the catalogunder the country of Albania and the heading"Church Records."

Effecti ve family research requires someunderstanding of the society in which yourancestor lived. Research procedures andgenealogical sources are different for each areaand time period and are affected by local customsand traditions. Learning about everyday life,religious practices, customs, and traditions isparticularly helpful if you choose to writc ahistory of your family.

The family has always played a crucial role inGreek society, extending beyond a married coupleto extended rclatives, and commanding a loyaltythat overrode duty to other groups. Cultivation ofland and running ofbusinesses tended to be familyentcrprises. Daughters generally received dowries.

SOCIETIES

You may also find several additional sourcesabout Greek social life at a public or universitylibrary. A bibliography of several interestingpublications on this subject is found in thefollowing book:

Sanders, Irwin T. East European Peasantries:Social Relations: An Annotated Bibliography ofPeriodical Articles. Vol. 2. Boston: G.K. Hall,1981 (55-62). (FHL book 940 H63s; computernumber 0305181.)

A study of social life in the town ofVasilika,county of Voiotias, may give some background onrural life in Greece:

Friedl, Erncstine. Vasilika: A Village in ModernGreece. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston,1962. (FHL book 949.51/V1 H6f; computernumber 0405837.)

Therc are many societies and organizations thatmay have information of value to your research.There are a few such societies in Greece, theUnited States, and other countries and areas where

Greeks have long treasured education as a channelfor social mobility and a way of recovering theirglorious past and of achieving national progress.Modern revival of education started in theeighteenth century under Ottoman rule, but it wasnot until 1929 that education was madecompulsory at the primary lcvcl. In 1964 educationwas made frcc at all levels.

The Family History Library has collected a fcwschool records, mainly intcnmediate and highschool records. These records are listed in theFamily History Library Catalog under:

If your ancestor was educated in the universities ofGreecc, he or she may have been recorded in thematriculation records of that school. These recordsmay contain valuable infonmation about yourancestor, including name, age, hometown, date ofenrollment, and date of graduation. Sometimesthey contain biographical infonmation, such asnames of parents, spouse, and chi ldren.

GREECE - SCHOOLSGREECE, [COUNTY] - SCHOOLSGREECE, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - SCHOOLS

SCHOOLS

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Greeks emigrated, such as Egypt, South Africa,South America, Europe, and Australia.

Most of these societies publish helpful periodicals,transcripts, and compiled genealogies, and theymay have special indexes, collections, andprojects. They may publish queries about Greekancestors or maintain a list of members' researchinterests. Some specialize in the immigrants to aspecific area. You may find it helpful to join oneof these societies and support their efforts.

The following societies may be of interest:

Historical and Ethnological SocietyOld PalaceConstitution SquareAthens, Greece

There are also societies of Greek immigrants whocarne from various localities in Greece. Identifyingimmigrant Greek societies from a particular regionor town of Greece can be difficult. You cancontact the Greek embassy for possible addressesof such groups. For example, there areorganizations for Greeks from Kythira or Sparta.

Additional information on societies and othersources of information about Greece arc in:

Wasserman, Paul, and Alice E. Kennington, eds.,Ethnic information Sources ojthe United States.2d ed. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research Co., 1983.(FHL Ref973 F24w.)

TAXATION

Heraldic and Genealogical Society of Greece3rd Septemvriou Street #56, MouseionAthens, GreeceTel. 822-2077(Offices are open only on Thursdays 6-8 P.M.

Time in Greece is 7 hours ahead of eastern time,and 9 hours ahead of mountain time.)

Greek Association of Family History andTradition - SIPEOP.O. Box 711027Salt Lake City, UT 84171TcI: (801) 569-9201E-mail: lica@sipeo.orgInternet: www.sipeo.org

The addresses of many ethnic heritage historicalsocieties in North America are given in:

Smith, Betty P. Directory: Historical Agencies inNorth America. 13th ed. Nashville: AmericanAssociation for State and Local History, 1986.(FHL book 970 H24d 1986; compuler number0491569.)

Wheeler, Mary Bray, ed. Directory ojHistoricalOrganizations in the United States and Canada.14th ed. Nashville, Tenn.: AmericanAssociation for State and Local History, 1990.(FHL book 970 H24d 1990; computer number531083.)

Many regional societies in Greece are groupswhere people from a town or region associate andget news of others from the same area. Forexample, the society for Greeks from Pelasgia(Svllogos Pelasgioton) is located in Athens.Pelasgia is a town in the county Fthiotidos. Thereis also a society of Greeks from Fthiotidos(Syllogos Fthioton) county located in Athens.

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Not many tax records for Greece have been filmedby the Family History Library. Two exceptions aretax records for farmers in Nauplion(1842-1862),and a tax list for Argostolion that was collected bythe grand duke of Yenicc (text in Italian).

Other tax records may be available in archives inGreece and may give information such as a list ofhouseholds in a town at a particular time and whatsocial-economic status your family had incomparison with others of that community. Theyalso give interesting historical insights about thelocal history of the region.

OTHER RECORDS OF GREECE

The topics listed below can be found in theLocality section of the Family History LibraryCatalog after the locality:

GREECE - [TOPIC]GREECE, [COUNTY] - [TOPIC]GREECE, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - [TOPIC]

Though not discussed in this outline, the followingcatalog topics may be useful to your research:

BibliographyColonizationDescription and TravelEthnologyMilitary HistoryNames, GeographicalOccupationsOfficials and Employees

FOR FURTHER READING

More detailed information about research andrecords of Greece can be found in:

Catsakis, Lica (Bywater). Greek GenealogicalResearch. 2d ed. Salt Lake City, Utah: ThcGreek Association of Family History andTradition (SIPEO), 1992. (FHL book 949.5D27b 1992; film I 183684 itcm 2; fichc6068522; computer number 0699128.)

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS

The Family History Library welcomes additionsand corrections that will improve future editions ofthis outline. Please scnd your suggestions to:

Publications CoordinationFamily History Library35 North Wcst TcmpleSalt Lake City, Utah 84 I50-3400USA

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We appreciate the archivists, librarians, and othcrswho have reviewed this outline and shared helpfulinformation.

2001 by The Church of Jesus Christ afLatter-day Saints.All rights reserved. Printed in the USAEnglish approval: 5/00

No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, orreproduced in any form for any purpose without the priorwritten permission of the publisher. Send all requests fUf suchpcnnission to:

Copyrights and Permissions CoordinatorFamily and Church History Department50 E. North Temple StreetSalt Lake City, Utah 84150-3400USAFax: 1-801-240-2494

FamilyScarch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Date: 01-02

GREEK RESEARCH The primary sources for genealogical research in Greece are births.marriages, and deaths recorded by churches or by the civilgovemment. The Family History library has microfilmed vital recordsfor some areas of Greece. The library has acquired church recordsand civil registration from the islands of Kerkyra (Corfu), Paxi,Ithake, Kephallenia and leukas. Some records in Athens have alsobeen microfilmed. You will find these records listed in the localitysection of the Family History library Catalog (FHlC).

There are still many areas of Greece. especially on the mainland.from which the Family History library has not yet been able toacquire records. If the library has not microfilmed records from yourancestor's place of origin, you will need to write for genealogicalinformation.

For a guide to genealogical research in Greece consult GreekGenea/ogical Research by lica Catsakis Bywater and Daniel M.Schlyter. This is an unpublished manuscript available on fiche6.053,540. This book includes information about records from Greeceat the Family History library. It also contains information about thehistory. emigration records. and the province/county structure ofGreece. It tells how to locate specific places. An explanation of howand where to write for information, and form letters to use in makingrequests are also included. Finally, there are chapters withinformation about the Greek Language and about Greek names andnaming customs.

Family History Centers Memorandum. Nov. 1988, Vol. 10, No. 3

The mist in the eyes of Spyros Lontos added to the hazy view of the barren rocks of Cape. Matapan as the ship was rapidly leaving behind the southernmost tip of Greece in 1913. Only 16years old, he together with his father and brother Nicos were chosen by the rest of the family toleave for America, to "pick up the gold from the streets of New York," to help pay the debts ofthe large family in the small village in Peloponnesos.

The grey skies of New York were the constant companion to the peddling of fruits by Spyros inthe teeming streets of the metropolis. Every week he would take the money to his father whowith his brother helped in the small restaurant of an uncle. If nothing else, the dream ofreturning soon to the motherland sweetened the long hours of work and the lonely evenings inthe small tenement.

In ten years enough money was collected for the father to return. Spyros was left behind to workmore and to send a regular remittance for the dowry of the sisters. He opened his own smallgrocery store with the help of his new father in law, who had arranged through the uncle to havea proxenio in offering Maria to marriage. Years later, Maria would relate with a chuckle toSpyros, the detail of the arrangement, the haggling over the proika (dowry) and the furtiveglances of the blushing girl as she met her future husband for the first time.

America was good to Spyros. He moved to a smaller city in Pennsylvania, and opened a cafeteriawith business booming. The four children that came along made him fiercely proud for what hecalled "the useful citizens I gave to the big country." His first, George, became the M.D. that hismother so feverishly wished. And what a feast and dancing at his marriage with the beautiful("and Greek by God!") daughter of Poulos. His second, Pericles, became a lawyer, sharp alwaysand handsome but he married the "foreigner." ("Yet, he keeps the customs and they have baptizedthe children in the Greek church," Spyros murmurs occasionally.) Kostas, his third, keeps thestore going, now that the parents are getting older, shrewd businessman on his way up. And thelast, the only girl, Helen, the pride of the family, is just finishing the University. Her father andmother are only praying for the "good Greek boy to come along, to dance in a Greek weddingonce again..."

This summer, forty years later, Spyros will return with Helen to Greece. He has to see the familyback "home," sit at the coffeehouse in the village square, reminisce about the good old days, andtell all how good and big are things in "Amerika." And if... Helen meets a good boy in the"motherland" that would make the return trip even happier with a Greek son-in-law back in theStates.

THE BALCH INSTITUTE HISTORICAL READING LISTS NO.:11

JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL

Covert, Alice Lent. "Chronicle of Americanization," Reader's Digest, 50 (February. 1947), pp. 51-54.

A sketch from the life of a Greek immigrant restaurant owner, the reasons for his coming, the variety of work involved,and the eventual settling at "Jamesport."

Frantzis, George Th. Strangers at Ithaca; The Story of the Spongers of Tarpon Springs. St. Petersburg: GreatOutdoors Publishing, 1966.

A sympathetic but episodic account of one of the early Greek communities.

Kazan, Ella. America. America. New York: Stein and Day, 1962.

The vividly sketched odyssey of a young Greek boy in Turkey to get to America and the semi-eutobiographical ruggedtrek to the land of opportunity were turned later on into a highly successful movie with the same title.

Maisel, Albert Q. "The Greeks Among Us," Readers Digest, 67 (July, 1955), pp. 113-118.

A short, descriptive, and impressionistic account of the Greek presence in American life with vignettes of some typicalimmigrants.

Papanikolas, Helen Z. "The Greeks of Carbon County," Utah Historical Quarterly, 22 (19541, pp. 143-164.

In addition to traditional items on the immigrant experience, there is also a description of the feelings and actionsagainst Greeks in Utah.

Stycos, J. M."Spartan Greeks of Bridgetown," Common Ground, 8 (1948), No. 2:61-70, No. 3:24-34,No.4: 72-B6.

Even-handed presentation of everyday life of Greek immigrants, customs and celebrations.

Thompson, Ariadne. Octagonal Heart. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1956.

Delightful reminiscences of a Greek~American childhood spent in St. Louis.

Vardoulakis, Mary. Gold in the Street. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1945.

An insightful, wel'~writtenfictional account of the reason for emigrating from the island of Crete and the eventualsettlement and adjustment in the community of Chicoppee, Massachusetts.

Xenides, J. P. The Greeks in America. New York: George H. Doran, 1922. Reprinted, San Francisco: R. and E.Research Associates, 1972.

A clergyman's account of Greek immigrants derived primarily from personal contacts.

UNDERGRADUATE

Abbott,Grace. "A Study of the Greeks in Chicago:' American Journal of Sociology, 25 3 (November 1909),pp. 349-393.

An early analysis of the first Greek immigrants in Chicago with particular emphasis on the problems of adjustment ofpeasants to a highly industrialized society.

Adamic, Louis, From Many Lands. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1940.

Vignettes of immigrants experience within an underlying theme of the multi<limensional qualities of ethnic groups inAmerica. The dream of building a new society is also underscored in the selection, "Greeks Came to Tarpon Springs,"pp.116-131.

Balk, Helen H. "Economic Contributions of the Greeks to the United States." Economic Georgraphy 19(July, 1943), pp, 270-275,

One of the few and limited analyses on the role of Greek immigrants in the economic life of the nation,

Burgess, Thomas. Greeks in America. Boston: Sherman French and Co., 1913. Reprinted, San Francisco: R. anE, Research Associates, 1970.

An early work with interesting information from both primary and secondary sources, as well as information from therank and file of Greek communities. Useful in particular for an account of early organizations and the development ofthe Orthodox church in America.

Fairchild, Henry P. Greek Immigration to the United States. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1911.

The first work on the topic in English, but full of anti-Greek bias, stemming from an atipathy to the highly clannishlife of the early Greek immigrants. Valuable, however, for a description of socio-economic conditions in Greece whichcaused sO many to migrate.

Georges, Robert A. "Greeks of Tarpon Springs: An American Folk Group," Southern Folklore Quarterly, 29(June, 1965), pp. 129-191.

A more scholarly, anthropological study of the Greek-American folklore.

Hutchinson, E. P. Immigrants and Their Children, 1850-1950. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1956.

The 1950 Census is used as a backdrop for a detailed and insightful analysis of the foreign-born population as vvell astheir children with particularly useful remarks on the influence of immigration on the population and economic growthof the United States.

Kourides, Peter T. The Evolution of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and its Present Problems. New York:Greek Archdiocese of North and South America, 1959.

One of the standard small volumes on the growth of the Orthodox Church in the U.S.

Kourvetaris, George. First and Second Generation Greeks in Chicago. Athens: National Centre of SocialResearch, 1971.

A short sociological study on social and occupational mobility, intergenerational career patterns, and social acculturationamong Greek-Americans in Chicago.

Panagopoulos, E. P. New Smyrna; An Eighteenth Century Greek Odyssey. Gainesville, Florida: University ofFlorida Press, 1966.

A personalized description of the earliest Greek settlement in this continent.

Petrakis, Harry Mark. Lion at My Heart. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1959.

The first in a whole line of successful fictional accounts of Greek-American lives, with central theme generationalconflict and adaptations to the surrounding culture. Others include, The Odyssey of Kostas Volakis (1963),A Dreamof Kings (19661, as well as collections of short stories.

Saloutos, Theodore. They Remember America: The Story of the Repatriated Greek-Americans. Berkeley:University of California Press, 1956.

In addition to the adaptation efforts of returning migrants, this volume otters insights as to the meaning of America inthe life of repatriated Greek-Americans.

The Greeks in America; A Student's Guide of localized History. New York: Teachers College Press, 1967.

Useful and succinct bibliographical summary.

GRADUATE STUDENTS AND GENERAL' SCHOLARS

Cutsumbis, Michael N. A Bibliographic Guide to Materials on Greeks in the United States, 1890-1968. New York:Center for Migration Studies, 1970.

A chronological bibliography with its major strength being the list of Parish and other unpublished material. Anindication after each entry as to where material is to be found would be useful for specialized researchers.

Gavaki, Efrosini. "The Integration of Greeks in Canada." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University (1970).

A recent scholarly attempt relating the opportunities as well as the problems associated with the process of Greekimmigrant adjustment. Useful in juxtaposing recent Canadian with earlier American immigrant experiences.

Georges, Robert A. "Greek·American Folk Beliefs and Narratives, Survival and Living Tradition." UnpublishedPh.D. dissertation, Indiana University (1964).

Field data collected in six American communities revolve around the hypothesis that Greek-Americans have notabandoned their traditional beliefs since their arrival in the New World. The author has continued to write extensivelyon the topic of Greek-American folklore.

Polyzos, Nicon Essai sur I'emigration Grecque: Etude demographique, economique et sociale. Paris, 1947.

Despite sweeping generalizations this is the only effort of offering a coherent, systematic scheme and overview ofGreek emigration.

Saloutos, Theodore. The Greeks in the United States. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1964.

The standard work on the topic. Well-written with abundant documentation, insightful commentary and skillfulcombination of large historical data with examples of the immigrant experience. Most useful are also the chapters onthe political and socio-eultural conditions in Greece that motivated the transatlantic migration at the end of the century.

Tavuchis, Nicholas. Fe1972.

: National Centre of Social Research,

A scholarly study ..hvwing the rapid .>ocial mobility among a sample ot \.;..eek-American families.

Theodoratus, Robert James. A Greek Community in America: Tacoma, Washington. Sacramento,: California:Sacramento Anthropological Society (Paper No. 10, mimeo), 1971.

A detailed examination of immigrant ties with the homeland and the emerging Greek-American culture.

Valaoras, V. Ho Hellenismes ton Enomenon Politeion (Hellenism in the United States). Athens: P. LeoniPress, 1937.

An early account of one of the few Greek population experts mixing data and personal observation. Useful in pointingout the rapid process of assimilation.

Vlachos, Evangelos. The Assimilation of Greeks in the United States. Athens: National Centre of SocialResearches, 1968.

A sociological study on the forces of assimilation, both national and local

A sociological study on the forces of assimilation, both national and local and the patterns of immigrant adjustmentover time. A case study of the Greek community in Anderson, Indiana, focuses on the assimilative experiences of threegenerations of Greek-Americans.

Vlassis, George. The Greeks in Canada. (2nd edition) Ottowa: Privately printed, 1954.

A descriptive account with profiles of noted Greek settlers in Canada and the major source so far of the history ofearly Greek migratory stream in this country.

Krikos, A. Metanasteusis Hellenon pros ton neon Kosmon (Greek emigration to the new World). Athens.Part of a series of volumes in Greek describing the direction, composition, and character of Greek emigration to NorthAmerica.

Malafouris, Bambi. Hellenes tes Amerikes, 1528-1948 (Greeks in America). New York: Privately Printed, 1948.

Useful volume on early Greek migrants, marred however with congratulatory essays on prominent Greek-Americanswho contributed to the publication of this volume.

Papa nicolas, Helen Zees. "The Fortress and the Prison," Utah Humanities Review, I (1947), pp. 134-146.

A literary sketch of the problems and customs of Greek-Americans as part of a projected novel by the author.

Utah Valley RegionalGenealogical Library4386 HBll, BVUProvo, Utah 846026011378-&ZOO

The Balch Institute's subject specialties - American immigration and ethnic group history - are interpreted by various library.museum, community affiars, research and educational programs. For further information on reading list schedules and bulk rates,contact The Balch Institute. Philadelphia, Pa. 19106.

© THE BALCH INSTITUTE May, 1975

Other Resources Greece

Cyndi’s List Greece Links http://www.cyndislist.com/greece.htm

Greek Genealogy-Family History http://www.greekgenealogy.org/ FamilySearch Wikiwww.familysearchwiki.org