At the turn of the 20th century the community of Kiupkioi (Proti) is under possession of the Ottoman Empire as well as all of Macedonia and Western Thrace, which are the "apple of contention" for the Balkan Nationalisms. The intense conflict between Greeks and Bulgarians for the association of the inhabitants of the area and mainly of the Slavic-speaking Christians, leads to the armed conflict described with the term Macedonian Struggle (1904-1908). The inhabitants of Proti and the villages of Paggaio are terrorized by the Bulgarian komitatzids who operate in the area and try to impose the Bulgarian Exarchate.
Teachers are under the most pressure, Georgios Karamanlis, Konstantinos's Karamanlis father (Konstantinos G. Karamanlis , Born in Proti March 8, 1907 – died Athens, April 23, 1998) was a Greek politician, who served four times as Prime Minister of Greece and twice President of the Hellenic Republic. ), is an example of a teacher who actively participated in the Macedonian struggle and attracted other Protaeans. The hostilities stopped with the predominance of the Neo-Turkish movement and the surrender of weapons by the Bulgarians in 1908.
As early as the end of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire introduced the cultivation of tobacco. The prosperity of the fine variety of Eastern tobacco in the arable fields of the area of Paggaio, led to the economic prosperity of the inhabitants of the village. At the same time, two layers of farmers emerge, the owners of large property and the small landowners who often sell their labor power to the former.
The family organization of the production within the framework of the "vertically enlarged" family and the mahala, begins to be undermined before the end of the Ottoman administration of the region. The introduction of tobacco cultivation led to its commercialization, which resulted in the opening of a closed self-sufficiency economy.
Teachers are under the most pressure, Georgios Karamanlis, Konstantinos's Karamanlis father (Konstantinos G. Karamanlis , Born in Proti March 8, 1907 – died Athens, April 23, 1998) was a Greek politician, who served four times as Prime Minister of Greece and twice President of the Hellenic Republic. ), is an example of a teacher who actively participated in the Macedonian struggle and attracted other Protaeans. The hostilities stopped with the predominance of the Neo-Turkish movement and the surrender of weapons by the Bulgarians in 1908.
As early as the end of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire introduced the cultivation of tobacco. The prosperity of the fine variety of Eastern tobacco in the arable fields of the area of Paggaio, led to the economic prosperity of the inhabitants of the village. At the same time, two layers of farmers emerge, the owners of large property and the small landowners who often sell their labor power to the former.
The family organization of the production within the framework of the "vertically enlarged" family and the mahala, begins to be undermined before the end of the Ottoman administration of the region. The introduction of tobacco cultivation led to its commercialization, which resulted in the opening of a closed self-sufficiency economy.
Reprinted, from the archive of I. Iatridis 1903-1953.
The Baranos (Varanos) family during the processing of dry tobacco-pasting.
The monument of the fallen, as it has been restored today
The Ottoman Empire, unable to respond to the new economic and social conditions, pursued an aggressive policy against the religious and newly formed national consciousness of its citizens, causing a general uprising. The First Balkan War in 1912 displaced the Ottoman administration from the Balkans. Proti is under Bulgarian occupation and thus begins the Second Balkan War with allies Greece and Serbia against the expansion of Bulgaria. The Greek army liberates Proti in July 1913. Upon their departure, the Bulgarians set fire to Doxato Drama and Sidirokastro in Serres.
The Second Bulgarian Occupation from 1916 to 1918 was particularly violent, 360 men from Proti were deported to labor battalions in Bulgaria and 150 of them never returned. The monument with their names, as well as the 80 young people who fought and lost in the Asia war expedition (1919-1922), was located in the old building of the community of Proti. In 1941 it was destroyed by order of the Bulgarian Mayor, in the Third Bulgarian occupation which was the last.
The Second Bulgarian Occupation from 1916 to 1918 was particularly violent, 360 men from Proti were deported to labor battalions in Bulgaria and 150 of them never returned. The monument with their names, as well as the 80 young people who fought and lost in the Asia war expedition (1919-1922), was located in the old building of the community of Proti. In 1941 it was destroyed by order of the Bulgarian Mayor, in the Third Bulgarian occupation which was the last.
Kiupkioi was recognized as a community of Serres in 1919. At the same time it was decided to change the names of the villages of Turkish or Slavic origin. Kiup-kioi translates from Turkish as the village of jars or a village that looks like a jar morphologically. Questionnaires are sent to all local communities to find the appropriate name. Kiesan, Fyllida, Pithion, the names that were proposed, finally the Ministry of Interior decided Proti in 1926.
The Government Gazette that validates the name Proti.
Minutes 5 of the Community Council convened for the purpose of renaming Kiupkioi Proti.
The questionnaire sent to the local communities for the selection of the appropriate name.
The electrical panel that was installed in the house of the Ladia family in 1956. The date was noted by Achilles Ladias himself.
From 1920 and for a decade until the financial crisis of 1930, Proti experienced great economic prosperity. Five large tobacco shops are established and the selling price of tobacco is very high. Within a few years, important infrastructure projects were carried out, such as the aqueduct, which solves the serious problem of water scarcity. In the early 1930s the first private power supply machine was installed in the flour mill of Proti. In 1955 Proti becomes the first village of Paggaio to be electrified by PPC. After the difficult decade of 1940-1950 with the Second World War and the Civil War that stigmatized modern Greek history, begins a period of rapid development that changes the productive relations and lives of people, transferring society to the industrial age.