Υπηρεσία Αναζητήσεων Ελληνικού Ερυθρού Σταυρού

Ever since its foundation, in 1915, the Hellenic Red Cross Tracing Department has performed a highly significant task. During its history, it has not only been active in tracing missing persons in unstable situations, during both war and peace in Greece and abroad; it has facilitated communication between captives, detainees, and refugees and their relatives. Goals: Maintain family unity · Restore family links · Maintain communication among family members · Trace missing persons and inform their relatives. Activities: Collect personal data of missing persons · Keep records of the data of missing persons and of applicants · Gather and keep record of general information · Restore communication after having traced missing persons · Provide Red Cross Messages (RCM) · Contribute to the repatriation of victims of armed conflicts · Provide assistance to Greeks living abroad and to foreigners living in Greece to trace their relatives, always in cooperation with local or foreign institutions, governmental or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) · Provide certificates to hostages, prisoners, people tortured, and relatives of people murdered, in order to help the victims or their relatives with retirement issues or rehabilitation. The activities of the Hellenic Red Cross Tracing Department are always based on showing respect to the family and to the right of people to be informed of the fate of their loved ones and to reunite with them, and extend further than just tracing people. The motto of the Tracing Department’s work is “to maintain the family unity”. 

Copies are available and issued by department employees. Ratified copies are available upon application.  

The Hellenic Red Cross Tracing Department has the largest tracing record in Greece and one of the largest worldwide, with 400.000 personal files. The Information Bank of the Tracing Department is constantly updated with new data and documents and, so as to function more effectively, collaborates closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Network of Tracing Services, state and private institutions, international organizations, mass media and volunteers both in Greece and abroad. 

Due to a shortage of staff, the department faces difficulties in offering the proper conditions for research within its archival collections. Researchers are requested to complete an application and to ask to receive information on a specific person.