Greece Notarial Records

Definition
In Greece, all legal transactions are recorded by notary offices (Symvolaiografeion). Notaries kept records such as dowry contracts (proikoa), wills (diathiki), and land transfer contracts.

Time Coverage
Some notary offices have files of contracts dating as early as 1400.

Dowry Contracts (Proikoa)
Bride's name, her parents' names, groom's name, groom's parents' names, financial details. &copy; Greg Kontos 2015

Wills (Diathiki)
Identity of the deceased, names of heirs and relationship (usually wife, children and their spouses), details of distribution of the property.

Land Transfer Contract
Identity of buyer and seller, locality, description of property. &copy; Greg Kontos 2015

Accessing the Records

 * These records are kept in private notary offices.
 * Access depends on the current notary. A fee will be charged for copies of contracts.
 * Land records may also be found in a government land ownership office (Ypothikofylakeion). These offices can be accessed only by attorneys.
 * The only notary records that are available at the Family History Library are for the town of Argos, Argolidos, Greece from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

GAK Greek National Archives
See, [[Media:GAK - How to Navigate.pdf|How to Navigate the Greek National Archives.]] There are two types of records available online for many counties: 1) indexes to actual notary records that you can then write for, and 2) in a few cases, digitized copies of the notary records themselves. To see what is available for your county, go to Links and addresses for county archives. After you choose a county, you will see "File Notary" clearly marked. For each file you select, clicking the "Contents" tab will give you sub-listings. Continue to work down through the sub-listings until you find a file of interest. When the "digital copies" tab changes from gray to black, you will be able to see the actual records.