Xylagani, Rhodopi

Administrative Region : East Macedonia and Thrace
Regional unit : Rhodopi

Xylagani (Ξυλαγανή ) Rhodopi

Xylagani is a town in Thrace in the Rhodope Regional Unit, 17 kilometers[1] from the prefecture's capital, Komotini, and according to the 2011 census, it has 1,180 residents.[2] It was formerly the seat of the Xylagani municipal district of the Municipality of Maroneia and the seat of the then municipality.[3] The Municipal Community of Xylagani, which also includes the settlements of Ergani and Nea Petra, according to the 2021 census had a population of 1,306 residents.
General and historical information

A wealth of archaeological finds have been found in Xylagani, which include parts of acropolises and tombs with offerings.

In the early 20th century, Xylagani was mainly inhabited by Bulgarians[4][5], while after its annexation to Greece and the subsequent population exchanges between Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, Greek refugees from the regions of Eastern and Northern Thrace settled in the village[1].

In June 1944, during the Occupation, residents of Xylagani who had created an armed unit affiliated with Anton Tsaous's guerrillas were attacked by Bulgarian army forces. In the ensuing clash, one Bulgarian soldier was killed, while on the part of the residents, 28 armed men were killed (both in the clash and in the subsequent mass execution)[1].

Culture and sports

The village's cultural club was founded in 1981. Its activities include the organization of traditional festivals, the operation of a folklore museum and a dance department. The festivals and customs of Xylagani include the festivals of the Isnafies on Clean Monday[6] and of Babos[7], as well as the custom of traditional wrestling brought by refugees from Megalo Voyialiki in present-day Bulgaria[8]. The settlement operates a Nursery School, a Kindergarten, a Primary School and a High School with high school classes.

The settlement is home to the Orpheus Sports and Cultural Association, which was founded in 2006 and participates in the local championships of the Thrace Sports and Cultural Association.
Population censuses
Census 1928 1940 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021
Population 1554[9] ; ; ; 1835[10] 1860[11] ; 1531[12] 1180[13] 942
Administrative history

The community of Xylagani was established with its headquarters in the homonymous settlement on 31 August 1924 and functioned until 1997, when it was abolished and annexed to the municipality of Maroneia.[14]
Community leaders
Term of office Holder (birth-death) Notes
1912-1974 Presidents of the Xylagani Community
19??-19?? Nikos Papanikolaou (1918-1983) Coffee seller. Found hanged in his barn on 12 July 1983.[15]
1974-1975 Appointed by the government of national unity
1975-1978 Winner of the 1975 elections. First elected community leader after the coup.
1979-1982 Georgios Dogkas Elected in 1978 with 41.9%.[16]
1983-1986 Christos Papadopoulos
1987-1990 Dimitrios Tsolakis
1991-1998 Aristomenis Papanastasiou Last community leader.
References

Tasos Hatzianastasiou, Insurgents and Captains. The National Resistance against the Bulgarian occupation of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace 1942-1944, Kyriakides Brothers Publishing House, Thessaloniki 2003, pp. 163 - 164.
«Official Gazette of the results of the PERMANENT population», p. 10481 (p. 7 of the pdf)
«EETAA-Administrative Changes of Settlements». www.eetaa.gr. Retrieved on March 22, 2021.
Stavrou D. Goudeli, Relations between Christians and Muslims in Greek Thrace, Komotini, April 1991, p. 21.
Tsourdis, Dimitrios (2020). "The population image of the Gumuljina Kazesi through the "Historical and Geographical Description from an Ecclesiastical Perspective of the Theosophical Province of Maroneia" (1871): Convergences and divergences with the Ottoman censuses and studies of the period". www.researchgate.net.
"Isnafia". mythotopia.eu. Institute for Speech Processing. Retrieved on August 26, 2023.
"Culture". dimosmaroneiassapon.gr. Municipality of Maroneia - Sapon. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
Folklore. Electronic Journal of Folklore, volumes 38-40, The Institute, 2008, p. 96.
Modern Encyclopedia of Eleftheroudakis, Encyclopedic Publications of N. Nikas and Co. E.E., fifth edition updated with supplement by volume, Athens 1964, volume 18, p. 931.
Kingdom of Greece. National Statistical Service of Greece, Population of Greece according to the Census of 14 March 1971, National Statistical Service of Greece, Athens 1972, p. 154.
Hellenic Republic. National Statistical Service of Greece, Actual Population of Greece according to the Census of 5 April 1981, Athens 1982, p. 163.
"Maroneia - Xylagani". pamth.gov.gr. Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Archived from the original on 27 May 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
"Xylagani". jti-rhodope.eu. JTI Tour System. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
"ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES OF MUNICIPALITIES AND COMMUNITIES, EETAA". eetaa.gr. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
ef. Thessaloniki, Former community president hanged, issue of July 12, 1983, p. 3.

“Municipal elections- EETAA, election results”. www.eetaa.gr. Retrieved July 18, 2020.

Municipal unit Maroneia
Municipal Community Amaranta
Amaranta (Αμάραντα, τα)
Βάκος, ο
Isalo (Ίσαλο, το)
Καλλιθέα, η
Πάμφορο, το
Municipal Community Xylagani
Εργάνη, η
Νέα Πέτρα, η
Xylagani (Ξυλαγανή, η)
Community Imeros
Ampelakia (Αμπελάκια, τα)
Imeros (Ίμερος, ο)
Community Maroneia
Agios Charalambos (Άγιος Χαράλαμπος, ο)
Ano Askites (Άνω Ασκητές, οι)
Askites (Ασκητές, οι)
Maroneia (Μαρώνεια, η)
Πλατανίτης, ο
Community Mirana
Βέννα, η
Mirana (Μίρανα, τα)
Σαλμώνη, η
Community Pelagia
Pelagia (Πελαγία, η)
Community Proskynites
Αλκυών, η
Κρυονέρι, το
Λεύκες, οι
Οικισμός προσωπικού ΔΕΗ, ο
Proskynites (Προσκυνητές, οι)
Προφήτης Ηλίας, ο

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