Institution : Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation
Service provider : Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation
The archive of Admiral Christos Dounis by the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation comprises more than 580 items and constitutes a coherent body documenting the history and practice of Greek merchant shipping, with particular emphasis on maritime education and navigation safety during the 20th century.
The collection consists primarily of textual records, complemented by nautical charts of ports and coastlines of the Eastern Mediterranean. Of particular interest are Dounis’s notes, which record in detail maritime incidents, events, and everyday practices of seafaring activity. These records function as valuable microhistorical testimonies of navigation, documenting issues of responsibility, technical failures, weather conditions, and ship handling, while also shedding light on the operational and institutional framework of the period. The collection also includes printed material, press clippings, and a limited body of photographic material.
Chronologically, the archive mainly covers the second half of the 20th century, with fewer items dating to the first half of the century and occasional references to earlier periods. The majority of the material is in Greek, with a smaller portion in English.
Overall, the archive offers a well-documented and multi-layered view of maritime activity, combining administrative knowledge, empirical recording, and research material, and constitutes a valuable resource for the study of the history of Greek shipping and maritime education.
Christos E. Dounis (1935–2010) graduated from the Merchant Marine Captains’ School of Hydra (1955) and the Hellenic Naval Academy (1960) and pursued further training in the United Kingdom and Germany (1964 and 1974). He specialised in navigation safety and maritime education. He initially served in the merchant navy as a captain and later held positions such as Director of the Seamen’s House and Consular Port Authority officer in Rotterdam (Netherlands). In 1985 he was appointed Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard and in 1987 Chief, attaining the rank of Vice Admiral. Following his retirement in 1990, he was named Honorary Chief of the Coast Guard. He authored numerous articles and books on maritime and shipping topics and made significant contributions to the improvement and advancement of maritime education.
Year range: 1860 - 1999
