The historical archive of 10 Communities of the Municipality of Western Lesbos was digitized in the framework of the project “Documentation, Digitization and Insertion into a Database of the Historical Archive of the Communities of the Municipality of Western Lesbos”. With the use of new technologies, more than 6,500 historical items and volumes from the period from the end of the 17th century to the middle of the 20th century (1650 – 1970) scattered in 10 Communities of the Municipality of West Lesvos were digitized and documented.

Specifically, material was gathered from the Communities of Agia Paraskevi, Filia, Leshi Arisvi, Skalochori, Polichnitou, Mandamado, Sykamia, Petra, Molyvo and Eresos. “Through the study of approximately 300 years of local history, the social, economic and ethnological factors that shaped the living conditions on the western side of the island are presented. With the scientific documentation of these historical documents, all events become accessible to all citizens, removing geographical restrictions and saving time in their study” says in a statement the Mayor of Western Lesbos, Brigadier Verros.

With the implementation of the specific project, the goal according to the program is to highlight the documents, books, archival evidence and folklore material, of unique and inestimable value, which due to their importance and the imperative need to be saved from the ravages of time, were digitized , documented and freely available to the general public through the web portal.

The project presented at an event last Thursday, February 8, was implemented within the framework of the Operational Program for Fisheries and the Sea 2014-2020, CLLD/LEADER Lesvos Local Program. Co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). ETAL S.A. Management Intermediate Body (Lesvos Local Development Company S.A.). The website of the project is: https://www.mwlesvos-archive.gr and one can also visit it through the website of the Municipality of Western Lesvos: https://www.mwlesvos.gr

The digitized and documented material mainly includes:

– Meeting Minutes of the Community Council of the respective Communities. These are bound volumes that include debates, votes, decisions, and dissenting opinions on any day-to-day issue. The topics of the agendas are economic, administrative (regional, municipal, local), technical, entertainment, cultural, historical, archaeological, environmental, sports, volunteering, urban planning, landscaping, cleanliness, charity, health, social welfare, legal, etc.

– Correspondence files consisting mainly of letters and telegrams between the Mayors of the Communities of Western Lesvos and the Prefecture of Lesvos, the Chamber, the Justice of the Peace, the Police, Military and Forestry Authorities, the Financial Commissioners, Banks, etc. and various individuals.

Other files one comes across are:

– Land registries where a general record of public and private real estate property of the Communities of Western Lesvos is carried out. A geometric description and the ownership status of each parcel of land is usually included.

– Notices for recruitment in the public sector where the conditions and the necessary supporting documents for the participation of the candidates are attached.

– And a multitude of files with unique content such as circulars, protocols, birth charts, family files, progress sheets, etc.