For those embarking on genealogical exploration within Greece, numerous repositories are available to facilitate your search.
The foremost recommended starting point is the General Archives of Greece (GAK), also referred to as the National Historical Archives. This independent public body consists of seven Directorates, fifty-four Regional Service Departments, and seven specialized archives. It operates from multiple locations, with its main office based in Psychiko, Athens. Furthermore, regional repositories such as the Messinia archive located at Αριστοδήμου 22, Καλαμάτα 24133 serve as valuable resources—managed by Panagiotis Andrianopoulos, with an interview planned for the following month.
The GAK contains collections curated by the Greek government that cover historical, cultural, and demographic data. Within these holdings are genealogically relevant records including:
-The Dimotologio Family books function as a genealogical register for numerous Greek towns, with origins dating back to approximately 1887. These documents usually list family members, such as grandparents, although they often exclude the surnames of grandmothers. They frequently record marriage dates, death dates along with causes of death, and detailed information about each family member, including professions and occupations. Furthermore, they may include records of relocation.
-Church registries
- Civil registration files
- Educational documentation including names of students enrolled in each class.
- Immigration and residency papers from the mid-1800s
- Military marriage records and pension files
- Notarial documents
Currently, numerous resources mentioned are accessible online. GAK Messinia is actively working on digitizing its complete collection of family books to ensure their availability via the official website in the near future.
Locally maintained archives can also hold valuable records:
- Municipal archives housed at mayors’ or community leaders’ offices. This is the main place where you will find the male birth registers (Mitroon Arrenon: example shown above) – a very important document for obtaining Greek citizenship. In Messinia, six official municipal offices exist, each corresponding to one of the six municipalities established under the Kallikratis Law in 2011.- Civil Registry Offices (Lixiarcheion) tasked with local civil documents.
- Greek Orthodox Church Archives kept either at individual churches or diocesan levels—these encompass vital records like birth, marriage, baptismal certificates, and death registers.
In particular, Kalamata’s Greek Orthodox Metropolis retains marriage registers dating from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. These entries do not function as official certificates but serve as indexes created via standardized templates provided centrally by the Church to ensure uniformity across parishes. Typical marriage entries list information such as spouses’ names and ages; parents’ names—primarily fathers’; date and place of marriage; priest’s name; witnesses’ names (koumparoi); and license numbers. Direct contact with the Metropolis is recommended for accessing these records.
Should you have further inquiries about the most reliable sources for obtaining the required documentation, please do not hesitate to contact us. Moreover, we encourage you to regularly check our updated resource list for additional avenues to gather pertinent documents.
Keep an eye out for further updates regarding the process of acquiring Greek citizenship.