Τα Γενιτσά (Γιαννιτσά) το 1904 μέσα από την έκθεση του Γεωργίου Τσορμπατζόγλου

Abstract

In May 1904 the diplomat Georgios Tsorbatzoglou was sent by the Thessaloniki Consul E. Evgeniadis to review on site and prepare a written report regarding
current status in the areas of Veria, Naoussa, Vodena, Genitsa and Gevgeli, as Bulgarian propaganda was getting increasingly active in Macedonia.

The competition was mainly on education and religion, therefore Tsorbatzoglou pointed out the «intense activity of Hellenic education in the town of Giannitsa» and emphasized the building of a new school. The location of the building was the object of arguments between the two parties of the local Greek authorities. One was led by Christos Chatzidimitriou and the other by the physician I. Vlachos. This report contains interesting details about Genitsa in 1904. He wrote about the population composition: The Christian Orthodox households in the town are approximately 850 (each one inhabited by two families, that means an average of ten people). The Turkish ones are between 1.000-1.500. The Schismatic ones are 35 and the Unitic 15. The Bulgarian and Unitic propaganda were not successful due to lack of public support. He suggests, though, that the town needs an efficient Bishop, a Church Commissioner and well-educated preachers to take care of the religious and national awareness of the rural population, that was the target of the Bulgarian propaganda. The town was called Genitze Vardar or Genitze by the Turks and Pazar by the Slavians. The name was adapted to Giannitsa in 1926.