The Ioannis Grigorakis Collection constitutes a valuable source for the political, social, and cultural history of modern Greece. Ioannis Grigorakis served as a City Councillor of the Municipality of Athens during the mayoral term of Pausanias Katsotas (1955–1959), while also actively participating in the country’s political life, representing various professional classes and social groups.
The archival material spans the period from 1928 to 1975 and captures aspects of his public and private activities, through documents related both to current political affairs and to cultural events of the time.
The Ioannis Grigorakis Collection was acquired by the Historical Archives of the Municipality of Athens in 2024, following a donation by his granddaughter, Eleni D. Grigoraki, and includes:
- Correspondence and documents from his political activity (1928–1975)
- Programmes of conferences, concerts, and receptions (1955–1957)
- Newspaper clippings with political and social references (1953–1958)
- Promotional political material, such as prospectuses and advertising leaflets for political coalitions (1945–1962)
- Financial and honorary documents, including bank cheques, national lottery tickets, and an honorary diploma (1944–2000)
- Plans and maps (1928–1956)
- Handwritten notes by Ioannis Grigorakis himself, which bear witness to his thoughts, plans, and priorities.
The Collection highlights the role of Ioannis Grigorakis as an active citizen and politician, as well as his connection with significant events and figures of the 20th century. The variety and richness of the material make it particularly useful for researchers studying local government, political history, social transformations, and the culture of post-war Greece.
ACCESS: Access to the physical and digitised collection is open and takes place in the Reading Room of the Historical and Municipal Archives.
FINDING AIDS
- Summary catalogue of archival documents
- Catalogue of the photographic collection