Death of Limassolian genealogist and researcher a ‘great loss’

President Nicos Anastasiades on Monday expressed his regret over the death of researcher and author Aristeidis Koudounaris, who passed away last Saturday at the age of 82.

Koudounaris was the author of the “Biographical Dictionary of Cypriots 1800-1920”, the seventh edition of which was recently published by the University of Nicosia.

The project said Anastasiades was an important reference project in the literature on Cypus.

Koudounaris was “a remarkable researcher, historian and writer” and left an important spiritual heritage, especially with his biographical dictionary of the Cypriots.

“We honour Aristeides Koudounaris both for his noble contribution to society and especially to his hometown of Limassol and the donation of his personal archives,” Anastasiades said in a written statement. “I express my sincere condolences to his family members.”

Limassol mayor, Nicos Nicolaides, also expressed his sorrow over Koudounaris’ death.

“A loss that leaves a void that is hard to fill due to the departed’s contribution to the historical studies of our country, especially in the field of genealogy, but also due to his entire contribution to the public,” Nicolaides said in an announcement.

Koudounaris was born in 1936 in Limassol where he finished the Greek High School. After obtaining his university degree in commercial studies in Dublin, he returned to Cyprus where he worked in his father’s business.

He also dealt with exhibitions of antiques and artefacts. Koudounaris was also president of the Historical Society of Cyprus and was the key note speaker at Limassol’s first Scientific Symposium on Oral History, in the early 2000s.

Nicolaides said that, Koudounaris’ contribution to the development of the Pattichion municipal museum’s history archive on Limassol has been a very significant since its foundation in 2005.

He said that Koudounaris, appreciating the significance of the Limassol history archives, had decided a few years ago to donate his own collection to the archive, including hundreds of documents and his library, “so that they become directly the property of any scholar interested in the city.”

“Limassol, his hometown, is indebted to him,” he said.

Nicolaides said that the municipality had scheduled an event for the presentation of the seventh edition of the biographical dictionary of Cyprus, which was Koudounaris’ “life project,” but that the author’s passing beat them to it.

“We will however present it soon, as per his desire,” Nicolaides said.

Koudounaris, a well-known genealogist, researcher and art dealer first ventured into his exploration of the history of the island’s prominent families in the early 1970s.

At the time, he was writing his first book on the subject, “About the Old Families in Cyprus”, that focused on the old Ionian families who came to Cyprus in the 18th and 19th century. The seventh edition of this “Who’s Who” of the significants in the history of Cyprus – Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians, Latins, British and Jews – comprises two volumes and details the achievements of 1,100 eminent Cypriots born between 1800 and 1920.

In an interview with the Sunday Mail last November just weeks before his passing, Koudounaris said that Cyprus was “a mosaic”.

“So many people from all over the region met here…I have never understood why such a beautiful country with so much room for everybody has changed so dramatically,” he said. “For me, we are all Cypriots and to this day I keep in touch with many of my old Turkish Cypriot friends. I have a great respect for them and they have respect for me.”

His funeral will take place on Thursday at 11am at the church of Ayios Nicolaos in Limassol.

 

 

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