Stavroupoli, Xanthi

Stavroupoli (Greek: Σταυρούπολη) is a village and a former municipality in the Xanthi regional unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Xanthi, of which it is a municipal unit.^[2] The municipal unit has an area of 342.002 km².^[3] Population 1,635 (2021). Stavroupoli and Nestos Valley (Greek: Κοιλάδα του Νέστου) including Nestos River Tempi (Greek: Τέμπη του Νέστου) is a popular tour region and vacation target in North Greece.

Stavroupoli Σταυρούπολη
Municipal unit
Stavroupoli Location within the regional unit
Coordinates: 41°12′N 24°42′E
Country	Greece
Administrative region	East Macedonia and Thrace
Regional unit	Xanthi
Municipality	Xanthi
Area
• Municipal unit	342.0 km2 (132.0 sq mi)
Elevation	132 m (433 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Municipal unit	1,635
• Municipal unit density	4.8/km2 (12/sq mi)
• Community	420
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Vehicle registration	AH

The municipal unit Stavroupoli is subdivided into the communities Dafnonas, Gerakas, Karyofyto, Komnina, Neochori, Paschalia and Stavroupoli. The community Stavroupoli consists of the settlements Stavroupoli, Lykodromi, Kallithea and Margariti.

History

During the Bulgarian administration of the region in World War II from 1941 to 1944, the village was infamous as the location of the Krastopole or Enikyoy concentration camp where Bulgarian Communist Party and other left-wing enemies of the ruling regime were interned.^[4]

Names

Under Ottoman rule, the Ottoman Turkish name of the village was يڭى كوى Yeni Köy (in Greek, Γενή Κιόι, in Bulgarian Еникьой Enikyoy) 'New Village'.^[5][6] The Bulgarian name was Bulgarian: Кръстополе, romanized: Krastopole, lit. 'cross field'.

Its name was Hellenized as Greek: Σταυρούπολις, romanized: Stavroupolis, lit. 'Cross city' in May, 1920, soon after it was ceded to Greece.^[6]

Notable people

• George Papassavas (1924) painter
• Katerina Sakellaropoulou (1956) The first female president of Hellenic republic

References

1. "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
2. "ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
3. "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.
4. "Концентрационни лагери". Българска енциклопедия А–Я (in Bulgarian). БАН, Труд, Сирма. 2002. ISBN 954-8104-08-3.
5. Tahir Sezen, Osmanlı Yer Adları, Ankara 2017, T.C. Başbakanlık Devlet Arşivleri Genel Müdürlüğü Yayın No: 26 s.v., p. 814
6. Institute for Neohellenic Research, "Name Changes of Settlements in Greece", s.v.

External links

• Δήμος Σταυρούπολης (in Greek and English)