The story of the Kazis family can only be recorded after 1825.

Due to the 1821 revolution in the mainland of Greece against the Turkish occupation, which gradually extended to the northern Balkan area, the Kazis family was chased away, because of their Greek nationality, from their homeland, the mountain Kazdagli, in Asia Minor, and arrived as refugees in the village of Saranta Ekklisies in Eastern Thrace.

The head of the family, Dimitrios Kazis (1830-1891), was a merchant of pharmaceuticals, herbs and medical preparations.

Dimitrios Kazis did not posess a high education but he spoke French and believed very highly of the value of education. He wanted all his children to go to the university.

His son, Aristidis D. Kazis (1860-1942) studied pharmacy and he founded the first official retail pharmacy in Saranta Ekklisies in 1885.

The family was further chased away to Western Thrace and Aristidis D. Kazis was forced to move is pharmacy to Komotini in 1923.

Aristidis D. Kazis had several sons out of which Michael A. Kazis (1900-1961) and Constantinos A. Kazis (1901-1980) both studied pharmacy and became pharmacists, Aristodimos A. Kazis (1910-1972) studied medicine and became medical doctor while Floros A. Kazis (1912-1988) and Christos A. Kazis (19215-1998) became pharmaceuticals wholesalers.

During world war II Constantinos A. Kazis founded a retail pharmacy in Drama but he was chased away by the Bulgarian occupation army and was forced to move to Thessaloniki where, in spite of the hazards of the war and his recruitment as a medical officer, he started a pharmaceuticals wholesaling business supplying pharmacies in the entire of Greece as well as numerous state hospitals. He was the first to import penicillin in specialty form in Greece from the U.S.A. As a result the lives of several thousand people were saved during war and during peace. 

The sinking of the floating hospital “Attiki”¹On April 12, 1941, the Greek commandeered floating hospital “Attiki” was sunk by German Bayerische Flugzeugwerke Bf 109 fighter aircraft during World War II. The ship “Attiki” was a merchant ship, which was requisitioned at the start of the Greco-Italian War to meet the needs of the war navy. The ship was converted into a floating hospital, bearing all the insignia of the Red Cross. According to the law of war, ships that clearly bear the signs that they are floating hospitals are allowed to sail freely and are “forbidden” to be hit. The ship “Attiki” had begun its voyage from Kavala towards Piraeus, where it would disembark sick and wounded soldiers. When it was sailing past Kafireas, near Evia, it was attacked by German fighter planes, specifically two Bayerische Flugzeugwerke Bf 109, despite the fact that it was illuminated with the characteristic signs of the Red Cross. The ship was configured so that it had a maximum number of beds of 362. The crew and patients on board amounted to: 11 sick soldiers, 28 nurse sisters, 17 military doctors, 1 reserve Captain Pharmacist – Konstantinos Kazis of Aristidou – and 110 men (officers, non-commissioned officers and sailors). The dead amounted to 50, of whom 22 drowned while 28 were killed during the bombardment. Among the dead was the Captain of the floating hospital, Dimitrios Meletopoulos. Finally, during the sinking of the ship, both the doctors and the nurses made every possible effort to save the patients. (Sources: Encyclopedia Structure, Wikipedia)

The “sinking of a floating hospital” refers mainly to the sinking of the floating hospital “Attiki” on April 12, 1941, by German Bayerische Flugzeugwerke Bf 109 (Messerschmitt 109) fighter aircraft during World War II. Captain HF Pharmacist Konstantinos Kazis of Aristidou was on board the ship.

After world war II, in 1947, Constantinos Kazis founded the pharmaceuticals wholesaling company Constantinos Kazis in the main center of Thessaloniki at 12 Venizelou street, in a historical building which still belongs to the family.

Constantinos A. Kazis had one son Micahel C. Kazis who is a pharmacist and who runs the wholesaling company today. 

Apart from Michael C. Kazis, other eminent members of the family excelling in the medical fields today are: Aristidis D. Kazis who is a professor of medicine in Thessaloniki and Nestor D. Kazis, who is a pharmacist running a successful retail pharmacy.

Today the company is called Kazis Hellas S.A.  and is run by Michael C. Kazis as president Constantinos M. Kazis junior as Sales and Accounting Manager and John M. Kazis junior as Exports and Development Manager.

Constantinos M. Kazis jr. and John M. Kazis jr. constitute the fifth generation in the history of the Kazis family in the world of pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

Today the company is called Kazis Hellas S.A.  and is run by Michael C. Kazis as president Constantinos M. Kazis junior as Sales and Accounting Manager and John M. Kazis junior as Exports and Development Manager.

Constantinos M. Kazis jr. and John M. Kazis jr. constitute the eight generation in the history of the Kazis family in the world of pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

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