Very rare, 1928, Thessaloniki Free Zone Guide, Signed & Dedicated, Interwar Trade & Customs History

Description

Scarce and historically important interwar Greek administrative publication documenting the operation of the Free Zone of Thessaloniki, issued in 1928.

This copy is exceptional due to its clear provenance: it is hand-signed and extensively dedicated by the author Georgios L. Popp, Head of Department of the Free Zone Committee, to P. Papatsonis, a senior colleague at the Ministry of Finance & Customs, where Popp himself served for a decade.

Popp’s original business card is also included, further strengthening the historical and archival value of the item. The card features extensive handwritten courtesy remarks addressed to his colleague.

About the Publication

Titled Οδηγός των μετά της Ελευθέρας Ζώνης Θεσ/νίκης Συναλλασόμενων (Guide to the Free Zone of Thessaloniki Traders), this work provides a detailed administrative and practical overview of commercial operations within the Free Zone, including:

• Arrivals & import declarations

• Unloading and storage procedures

• Customs clearance regulations

• Shipping and port services

• Prohibited imports

• Protective measures (including anti-phylloxera regulations)

• Banking facilities, depositories, and provisions

Issued during the mature phase of the Free Zone’s establishment (active from 1925), the guide reflects state-led economic planning in interwar Greece and Thessaloniki’s strategic role as a customs-exempt international trade hub in the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean.

 

Bibliographic Details

• Author: Georgios L. Popp (Γεώργιος Λ. Πωπ)

• Title: Οδηγός των μετά της Ελευθέρας Ζώνης Θεσ/νίκης Συναλλασόμενων (Guide to the Free Zone of Thessaloniki Traders)

• Year: 1928

• Place: Thessaloniki

• Pages: 80

• Language: Greek

• Binding: Original paper binding

• Dimensions: approx. 24  cm× 17 cm

• Extras: Signed & dedicated copy + original business card of the author with handwritten 

 

Condition

Very good vintage condition overall.
Original paper binding with expected age-related wear.
Interior pages clean, complete, and fully legible.
Please examine the photographs carefully for a detailed condition assessment.

 

Collectability & Significance

A scarce and specialized government document, rarely encountered outside archives, and particularly desirable due to:

• Signed and dedicated provenance

• Direct association with the Ministry of Finance & Customs

• Documentation of interwar economic policy

• Thessaloniki port and Free Zone history

Of strong interest to:

• Collectors of Greek economic & legal history

• Scholars of interwar trade and maritime policy

• Researchers of Thessaloniki and Balkan commerce

• Institutional and academic libraries