MIET Archives National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation (E.L.I.A.)

Overview

The MIET Archives collections are the archival holdings of the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation (Μορφωτικό Ίδρυμα Εθνικής Τραπέζης, abbreviated MIET), housed primarily through the Hellenic Literary and Historical Archive (E.L.I.A.). The collections span Athens and Thessaloniki and constitute one of the most significant cultural and historical archives in Greece, preserving 19th- and 20th-century materials relating to modern Greek history, literature, and culture.

History and Founding

The National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation was established in 1966, under administrative direction following a governmental decree (311/1-4-1966), as part of celebrations marking the bank's 125th anniversary. Its first Board of Directors included distinguished scholars such as Ioannis Kakridis and Konstantinos Tsatsos.

The Hellenic Literary and Historical Archive (E.L.I.A.) was founded in 1980 as an independent cultural non-profit organization. In October 2009, E.L.I.A. was incorporated into MIET, becoming its primary archival body. A Thessaloniki branch of E.L.I.A. was established in 1997 and moved to the MIET Cultural Center at Villa Kapandji (108 Vasilissis Olgas Street) in February 2011.

Collections and Holdings

The MIET Archives hold over 1,000 distinct personal, literary, economic, and artistic archive collections. Key holdings include:

• ELIA Archive: Personal and institutional archives of writers, politicians, and cultural figures relating to 19th- and 20th-century Greek history.
• Cartography Archive: Historical maps of Greek territories.
• George Seferis Photographic Archive and the Mario Vitti Photographic Archive.
• ELIA Press Collection: Digitized collection of hundreds of rare 19th- and 20th-century Greek newspapers, journals, and magazines, including materials from the 1940s and the Colonels' Junta period (1967–1974).
• Performing Arts and Music Documents Collections.
• Egyptian Hellenism Department: Materials relating to the Greek diaspora in Egypt.
• Digital Collection of Palaeographical Archive.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The press collection is particularly notable for researchers of Greek journalism and media history. It includes hundreds of digitized newspapers and periodicals spanning the 19th and 20th centuries, with special strength in coverage of the German occupation of Greece and the military junta era. This collection is fully accessible locally at the Athens reading room.

Access and Usage

The reading room in Athens is open Tuesday through Friday, 09:00–14:00. Access is free, with no admission fees or restrictions. Researchers must seek copyright permission for reproduction or publication of materials. An electronic catalogue (in Greek) is available online.