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Friday, December 27, 2024

Paxos Archive Repository (Magazia)

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Paxos Archive Repository (Magazia)

The Paxos Archive is one of the oldest archives in the country, as the oldest document it holds dates back to 1610. It operated during the Venetian rule as part of the then Corfu Archive. Count Ioannis Makris, a nobleman and one of the three Presidents of the island of Paxos (the other two being Marinos Mitsialis and Stamatelos Vellianitis), recognized the utility of establishing an office to collect the written treasure of Paxos. Thus, in 1800, in a document addressed to the Governor of Corfu, he wrote: "The local administration of Paxos, among its primary matters of discussion, deliberated on the establishment of an archive in Paxos, in which the valuable monuments will be placed and zealously preserved" (Historical Archive of Corfu, Democratic French, folder 4, page 63). 


The Paxos Archive covers, with few significant gaps, the second half of the 18th century, 

the 19th century, and the 20th century, presenting completeness and rarity, as it has preserved the majority of the documentation produced by the authorities at the time when similar or equivalent material is stored in few organizations, mainly in the State Archives of the Ionian Islands.

Operating since 1800, it is noteworthy that among its collections are notarial codes dating from 1658 to 1902. (The term "code" - from the Latin word codex or condex - formerly meant a book of public records, written on parchment or paper sheets, in the form of today's book; during the Frankish and Turkish rule and later in the Ionian Islands, a notary meant a scrivener < Lat. Notarius < nota mark, sign < nosco I know).

Unfortunately, its collections suffered many damages over the years. Perhaps the worst, according to G. Doikas, was during the Paxiotes' revolution against the French in 1810, during which the rebels, along with many excesses and murders, looted the Historical Archive.

In the years that followed, the local administration did not give the importance and attention that the Archive deserved, neither to provide it with a suitable shelter nor to protect it from intrusive and indifferent researchers. The Archivists, despite their good intentions, perhaps lacked the knowledge and experience to maintain and utilize the valuable material of the Archive. And the long periods during which it remained without an Archivist, stacked in places without proper humidity and temperature specifications, undoubtedly caused significant damage to its documents.



Until 1925, collected 

in addition to the notarial archives, court records, registries, and official government gazettes.
During the period from 1925 to 1935, it remained closed, and the archival material was transferred to the Paxos Magistrates' Court.
In 1935, it was re-established by Law 221/28-5-1935 and housed in the Gaio Community Center following a request from the Gaio Community Council to the Ministry of the Interior.
Until 1995, it operated normally, with an interruption from 1952 to 1960. During this period, it gathered all the remaining archival material (registry office records, municipal archives, local newspapers). In 1991, it was renamed by Law 1946 on the G.A.K. from the Historical Archive of Paxos to the Local Archive of Paxos, while in 1995, there was no building to house it, nor any personnel. Therefore, a team from the General Archives of Greece went to Paxos to pack and transfer the archival material.


During the following decade, by decision of the municipal council,

the Municipality of Paxos granted the neoclassical building dating back to the early 20th century in Magazia Paxos to the General Archives of the State. This building, which until then housed a primary school, became the permanent location for the archive. In 2004, a permanent employee with specialization as an Archivist was appointed, marking the completion of the unpacking and organization of the material, and the systematic cataloging began.

The Local Archive of Paxos (2004-2008) participated in the Operational Program of the Information Society for the "Development of Integrated Digital Cultural Collections of the General State Archives" by providing approximately 90,000 pages from the archives of the Registry Office, Notaries, Mortgage Office, and Democratic and Imperial French archives.

However, in 2008, the archivist was transferred, and until 2013, the Archive operated with detached educators. From 2013 to 2020, it remained closed due to a lack of staff. In 2019, it was renamed to the Paxos Archive (Law 4610/2019, Government Gazette 70/A/07-05-2019), and from September 2020 until today, it has reopened with an educator assigned as staff. The maintenance and repair needs of the building and equipment remain significant, relying on the sensitivities of the Municipality and the residents of the island for its continued operation, with the ability to serve the public, as well as the preservation and maintenance of its rich treasure.



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