Information on Urban History and Urban Historical Research in Greece

by Anna Batzeli

 

1. Associations and Societies on Urban History

The following entities are dedicated exclusively or partly to urban history:

• Society for Modern Hellenic Studies
• Hellenic Historical Society
• Institute of Local History and of Enterprises
• Social and Economic History of Contemporary Athens (1834-1960)
• Thessaloniki History Centre
• Center of Local History and Culture of Veria

The following  groups are dedicated on oral history of towns:

• Athens Oral History Group
• Chalandri Oral History Group
• Can be found a full list of Oral History Groups
• Relevant initiatives are being implemented by various actors: like the NGO istorima and Volos City Museum

The following research centres have groups that work on urban history:

• Athens Oral History Group
• Chalandri Oral History Group
• NGO  Istorima
• Volos City Museum

The following research centres have groups that work on urban history:

• National Hellenic Research Foundation: Institute of Historical Research: eie.gr
• Institute for Mediterranean Studies, Department of History of Cities, Diaspora and Immigration in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea: ims.forth.gr

2. City Archives, or general information about city Archives

• The State Archives are structured into Directorates and Departments and supervise 54 Regional Archives throughout the country. Regional Archives serve as a key source for information for those studying Urban History. A list of the Regional Archives can be found at: gak.gr Digital collections of all Regional Archives are accessible at: arxeiomnimon.gak.gr
• Researchers may also conduct research at the Hellenic Parliament digital archives, which offer access to over 3,000 newspapers of 19th and 20th centuries:  library.parliament.gr
• A list of non-State Archives can be found at: gak.gr Furthermore, some Municipalities, Museums and Libraries own their own archives, for ex. the Athens City Museum Archive and the Heraklion City Library Archive
• Archival material is also accessible through the National Documentation Center platform.

3. Journals

• The National Documentation Center provides open access to academic journals

4. Journals for Regional History including relevant contributions on Urban History

• Balkan Studies & Valkanika Symmeikta

5. Bibliographies

• National Library of Greece
• National Archive of PhD Theses

6. Main Reference Works on Urban History in Greek:

• Βαν Μπούσχοτεν, Ρ., Τ. Βερβενιώτη, Δ.Λαμπροπούλου, Μ.Μούλιου, Π.Χαντζαρούλα (επιμέλεια), Η μνήμη αφηγείται την πόλη. Προφορική ιστορία και μνήμη του αστικού χώρου, Αθήνα: Πλέθρον, 2016.
• Λυδία Σαπουνάκη – Δρακάκη Μαριάνθη Κοτέα (επιμ.), Ευρωπαϊκή Αστική Ιστοριογραφία, Εκδόσεις Διόνικος: 2004.
• Β. Παναγιωτόπουλος, Λ. Καλλιβρετάκης, Δ. Δημητρόπουλος, Μ. Κοκολάκης, Ευδοκία Ολυμπίτου, Πληθυσμοί και οικισμοί του ελληνικού χώρου.  Ιστορικά μελετήματα, Τετράδια Εργασίας 18, ΙΝΕ/ΕΙΕ, Αθήνα 2003, 315 σσ.Ful hist