1443
The Corfu Archives is established, which included documents from the years 1500-1864.
Our History
The State Archives Service in Greece was established in 1914 during the premiership of Eleftherios Venizelos, under the name General Archives of the State (GSA). The establishment of the GSAtook place with great delay compared to other European states, which already had organized archival services and were already concerned with the issue of free research in their archival material. Systematic production of documents for the subsequent Greek State begins with the declaration of the Revolution of 1821, when the first state structures are created. Although archives were kept at every level of administration, political and military, during the years of the Struggle, substantial measures for archival organization were instituted during the period of Ioannis Kapodistrias’ governance.
The state archival service in Greece was established in 1914, during the premiership of Eleftherios Venizelos, under the name General State Archives of Greece (GSA). The founding of the GSA came with considerable delay compared to other European states, which already had organised archival services and were already engaged with the issue of free scholarly access to their archival holdings. Systematic document production for what would later become the Greek State begins with the proclamation of the Revolution of 1821, when the first state structures were created. Although archives were kept at every level of administration—civil and military—during the years of the struggle, substantial measures for archival organisation were instituted during the period of governance of Ioannis Kapodistrias.
1443
The Corfu Archive Repository is founded, containing documents from the years 1500–1864.
16th century
Archival services operated in the Ionian State, the Sami State and the Cretan State. Specifically, the following archive repositories were in operation: Zakynthos, Ithaca, Corfu, Kefalonia, Kythera, Lefkada, Paxos and Samos.
1821-1823
The “Administration”, the “State Chancellery” and the “Ministries” (later “Secretariats”) are established to exercise legislative, executive and judicial functions.
1829
The “Archive Repository of the State” is founded, aiming to collect the public archives of the “Ministries” and to receive the archives of the “Secretariats”.
1833
The “Archive Repository of the State” is dissolved, and each “Secretariat” retrieves the archives it had deposited.
1834
The National Library, as the principal central public body with objectives related to those of the GSA, is granted a legal basis through the Royal Decree of 1834 and intensifies its policy of collecting archival material.
1836
The archives of the Court of Audit are organised, and public archives are gathered and kept there.
1846
The archives of the National Assemblies are gathered at the Hellenic Parliament.
1855
The publication of the Archives of the National Regeneration (Greek War of Independence era) is announced.
1864
With the union of the Ionian Islands (Heptanese) with Greece, the operating archive repositories of Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ithaca, Zakynthos and Kythera come under the Ministry of the Interior.
1882
The Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece (HESG), a private-law legal entity, sets as its purpose “the collection of historical and ethnological material and objects contributing to the illumination of medieval and modern history and literature, the life of the language of the Greek people, and the establishment of a Museum and Archive including such monuments of national life.”
1914
Law 380/1914, “On the establishment of a state archives service,” is passed under the government of Eleftherios Venizelos, thanks to the efforts of Professor Spyridon Lambros and the historian-researcher Giannis Vlachogiannis. Its purpose is “the collection and supervision of all public archives containing documents dating more than fifty years back.” The first Director of the General State Archives of Greece (GSA) is Giannis Vlachogiannis, who donates his valuable collection to the GSA, and the first Chair of the Supervisory Board is Nikolaos G. Politis. The existing archives of the Ionian Islands, Crete and Samos are placed under the Service.
1939
Law 2027/1939, “On the reorganisation of the General State Archives service,” is passed.
1991
Law 1946/1991 establishes the legislative framework governing the operation of the GSA (until the adoption of the new Law 4610/2019). Under this law, the Central Service is structured into Departments and Archives are established in the seats of those Prefectures where none previously existed.
2003
Relocation of the GSA Central Service and inauguration of the new building (10.11.2003).
2005
The previously autonomous public service “Archives of the Prime Minister, Ministers and the General Secretariat of the Government” (founding law 2846/2000) is brought under the GSA Central Service through Law 3391/2005.
2011
National Conference, under the auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic, for shaping the new Archival Policy and Library Policy and drafting a White Paper.
2014
100 years since the founding of the General State Archives of Greece (GSA). The exhibition “100 Years of the General State Archives, 500 Years of History” is held. (Press release. See the exhibition catalogue.)
2019
