View source for Ilia (Elis) County, Greece Genealogy

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Guide to '''Ilia (Elis) County ancestry, family history and genealogy:''' birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.
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==History==
Elis or Ilia is one of the regional units of Greece and it is part of the region of Western Greece. It is situated in the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its capital is Pyrgos.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elis_(regional_unit) Elis or Ilia] (Wikipedia)

==Geography==
Elis or Ilia (Greek: Ηλεία, Ileia) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Western Greece. It is situated in the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its capital is Pyrgos. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Elis was created out of the former prefecture Elis (Greek: Νομός Ηλείας). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganized, according to the table below.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elis_(regional_unit) Elis or Ilia, Wikipedia]

==Municipalities==
Most of the research you do will be at the municipality level, by contacting the Mayor's Office of the municipality. 
{|
|-
|
{| class="wikitable"
|- 
! New municipality !! Old municipalities 
|-
| rowspan=4|4. Ancient Olympia<br>(''Archaia Olympia'') || Archaia Olympia 
|-
|Lampeia
|-
|Lasiona
|-
|Foloi
|-
| rowspan=4|6. Andravida-Kyllini|| Andravida
|-
|Vouprasia 
|-
|Kastro-Kyllini
|-
|Lechaina 
|-
| rowspan=3|3. Andritsaina-Krestena|| Andritsaina 
|-
|Alifeira
|-
|Skillounta
|-
| rowspan=2|2. Ilida (municipality)|| Amaliada 
|-
|Pineia
|-
| rowspan=4|7. Pineios (municipality)|| Gastouni
|-
|Kavasila
|-
|Vartholomio
|-
|Tragano
|- 
| rowspan=4|1. Pyrgos || Pyrgos
|-
|Volakas
|-
|Iardanos
|-
|Oleni 
|-
| rowspan=2|5. Zacharo|| Zacharo
|-
|Figaleia
|}

|style="vertical-align:top"|
[[File:Ilias Municipalities.png]]
|}

==Municipal Archives==
Quite comprehensive records for your family, perhaps for several generations, are kept by the mayor's office of each municipality. Civil registers of birth, marriage, and death since 1925 are kept there.  In addition, an important record, unique to Greece, the Dimologion is similar to a  "family group record". Census records, contracts, and other records can be found. 
===Information About Important Records in Municipality Archives===
Click on the links for an explanation on the types of records you will look for at the municipality level.
*[[Greece Civil Registration- Vital Records#Modern Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers|Modern Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers]]
*[[Greece Civil Registration- Vital Records#Male Registers (Mitroon Arrenon)|Male Registers (Mitroon Arrenon)]]
*[[Greece Civil Registration- Vital Records#Town (Resident) Registers (Dimotologion)|Town (Resident) Registers (Dimotologion)]]
===Writing to Municipal Archives===
*[http://www.ypes.gr/el/Regions/Aytodioikhsh/StatesMunicipalities/ilias/ '''Municipality addresses for Ilia County''']
*[[Media:Lica Catsakis Form Letters to the Mayor of a Municipality.pdf|'''Form Letters to the Mayor of a Municipality''']]
**Asking for a Birth record 
**Asking for a Death record 
**Asking for Family Structure (Dimitologion)
**Follow up Thank You letter

==Greek National Archives, and County Archives==
*The [http://www.gak.gr '''Greek National Archives (GAK or GSA)'''] has a central office in Athens, and local offices throughout Greece. These offices have copies of Male Registers, Town (Resident) Registers, School Records, and other documents of interest to family historians. Civil registers are not preserved in the Central Service (CS). Some records are online. Others are not online, but the staff will search them for you upon request.

*See [[Media:GAK - How to Navigate.pdf|'''How to Navigate the Greek National Archives.''']]
*[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/index.html?code=GRGSA-CSA '''Online records''']
*[http://www.gak.gr/index.php/el/tilefona-diefthynseis '''Contact information for services''']
<br>
===Important Records of GAK===
*'''Electoral Registers, 1870s'''
**[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/index.html?cid=586603 Election Collection John Vlachogianni] (1864-1925) 
***[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/resource.html?tab=01&id=13822 Electoral lists of Ilia, folder#14]
***[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/resource.html?tab=01&id=13848 Electoral lists of Olympia]
**[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/index.html?cid=572695 Electoral Archive Hellenic Parliament] (1844-1893, 1915)
***[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/resource.html?tab=01&id=13735 Electoral lists of Ilia, folder #14]
***[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/resource.html?tab=01&id=13794 Electoral lists of Ilia, folder #14a]
***[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/resource.html?tab=01&id=13761 Electoral lists of Olympia]
**[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/resource.html?tab=01&id=13477 Ladas Collection Election Collection George Lada] (1843-1873)
***[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/resource.html?tab=01&id=13490 Electoral lists of Ilia, folder #15] 
***[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/resource.html?tab=01&id=13512 Electoral lists of Olympia]
<br>

Georgia Stryker Keilman has been translating the Vlachogiannis collection into English. Check these first to possibly save time. The translations can be accessed on her website by clicking on the following links for the Index to Greece Historic Election List Archives:
*[http://hellenicgenealogygeek.blogspot.com/p/greece-election-list-archives.html '''Index to Greece Historic Election List Archives, Part 1'''] 

<br>

===Central Archive===
General State Archives (GSC)<br>
Dafni 61<br>
15452 Psychiko<br>
Greece<br>
<br>
Phone:+30  210-6782200<br>
FAX:+30 210-6782215<br>
E-mail:archives@gak.gr<br>
<br>
===Ilia County Archives===
'''Nomos Ilia'''<br>
Themistokleous and Gymnasarhou Doukas 30<br>
27100 Pyrgos <br>
Greece<br>
<br>
Tel. - Fax: 26210-36422 <br>
E-mail: mail@gak.ilei.sch.gr<br>
*[http://gak.ilei.sch.gr/ '''Website''']
*[http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/browse/index.html?code=GRGSA-ILE '''Online Records''']

===Writing to Archives===
Again, not all records will be online.  You can write and request searches for records. Instructions, form letters, and their translations are found here. 
*[[Media:Lica Catsakis Form Letters to the Greek National Archives (GAK).pdf|'''Form Letters to the Greek National Archives (GAK)''']]
**Requesting Birth information 
**Requesting Marriage information 
**Requesting information about the family structure and death of an ancestor
**Follow up Thank You letter

==Greek Orthodox Church Records==
===Important Church Records===
*Book of Births: date of birth, place of birth, gender, name, surname, father’s name, date of baptism, godfather and priest, notes
*Book of Marriages: date of marriage, groom’s name, groom’s age, groom’s father’s name, groom’s mother’s name, bride’s name, bride’s age, bride’s father’s name, bride’s mother’s name, priest, place of birth, notes
*Book of Deaths: date of death, name of the deceased, father’s name, age, notes

===Writing to a Diocese===
Records may be either at the diocese archives or still at the local parish church. Usually only the most recent records are still at the parish.<br>
*[http://www.ecclesia.gr/English/EnDioceses/EnDioceses.asp?mitra_id=102 '''Contact information for the Diocese of Eleia and Oleni ''']
Information on addressing the letter, enclosing money, and a form letter in Greek, with its English translation are found in this .pdf:
*[[Media:Lica Catsakis Form Letter to a Diocese.pdf|'''Form Letter to a Diocese''']]
**Asking for a Marriage record 
**Follow up Thank You letter

==How to Read the Records==
You do not have to be fluent in Greek to read and understand these records! Only a few vocabulary words are involved.  True, the alphabet is different.  But you learned one alphabet, and you can learn another alphabet! 
*[[Greece Handwriting and Text|'''Greece Handwriting and Text''']] will teach you the alphabet in print and handwriting and give you some computer translation tools.
* The article, [[Greek Word List|'''This simple Greek Word List,''']] features a short list of key terms. You should learn to recognize these.
* Other words will be used on a '''"look it up when you come to it"''' basis.  For this, more thorough word lists can be found at :
**[[Media:Lica Catsakis 10 The Language.pdf| Catsakis, Lica. '''''Chapter 10:THE LANGUAGE.''''' '''Family History Research in Greece.''']] 
**[[Media:Lica Catsakis 11 Numbers and Units of Time.pdf|Catsakis, Lica. '''''Chapter 11: NUMBERS AND UNITS OF TIME.''''' '''Family History Research in Greece.''']] 
**[[Media:Lica Catsakis 12 Appendix A Glossary.pdf|Catsakis, Lica. '''''GLOSSARY.''''' '''Family History Research in Greece.''']] 
[[Category:Counties of Greece]]