Μουσείο Μπενάκη - Τμήμα Ιστορικών Αρχείων

The Benaki Museum / Historical Archives constitute one of the best-organised and most extensive archival collections in Greece. They were established as an independent department in 1955. Most of the archival material originates from the personal collection of Antonis Benakis, as well as from subsequent donations by private benefactors. Focusing on the history of the Greek nation, the collection includes documents, records and other historical artefacts, mostly relating to the political, economic and social life of the past three centuries.

Since 1994 the Historical Archives Department has been housed in Kifissia, in the mansion previously belonging to Stephanos and Penelope Delta, donated by their daughter Alexandra Delta-Papadopoulou

A substantial part of the collection pertains to the 1821 Greek War of Independence and the period of Othon’s regn and the revolution of the 3rd September 1843. The first quarter of the 20th century is closely connected with the political rise of Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936). His stormy career and attempts to restructure the government can be traced through his voluminous writings, correspondence, and other documents that come from both his personal archives and those of his associates and other contemporary politicians, P. Daglis (1853-1924), A. Romanos, G. Ventiris (1890-1954) and N. Plastiras (1883-1953).

The section of the archives dealing with the National Resistance (1940-1944) is also noteworthy and includes the personal records of individuals active in various organisations proscribed during the German Occupation: Ioannis Peltekis (1904-1969), Stephanos Doukas, Errikos Moatsos, Herakles Petmezas, Constantine Benakis (1905-1962), and the newly acquired records of Dimitris Dimitriou, a.k.a. Nikiforos. These records contain references to the organisations "Apollo", "Yvonne", "Mydas" and "E.D.E.S".

The Institution also holds the archive of the Matsas Family (1922-1967), who survived the Holocaust in Greece.

Finally, we should not overlook the archives and manuscripts of the Greek composers Nicolaos Mantzaros (1795-1872), Spyridon Samaras (1861-1917) and Yannis A. Papaioannou (1910-1989), as well as those of the poets and writers, Dionysios Solomos (1798-1857), C.F. Cavafy (1863-1933), Gregory Xenopoulos (1867-1951) and Angelos Sikelianos (1884-1951). The historical archives likewise include the papers of significant intellectual and political figures, among whom are the Lountzis family, Panagis Lekatsas, Yannis Ritsos, Olga Votsi, Yannis Dallas, Kleareti Malamou, Constaninos Gonticas and Stylianos Gonatas; these contain family and historical photographs and constitute just a small sample of the wealth preserved in the Benaki Museum.