The development of a central port was part of the plans of both the state and the industries ever since the initial period of industrialization. The Sub-Customs Office of Elefsina was established in 1842, followed by the Health Center, which was developed in 1845 with the intent of providing medical tests to ship crews. In 1914, concurrently with Elefsina’s industrial development, there was also the establishment of the Port Fund of Elefsina, which remained in operation until 2001, when it was converted into a société anonyme under the name Elefsis Port Authority (OLE in Greek) (Law 2932/2011). The main commercial port, the docks of the former American military base, and the port at Vlycha are all regulated by OLE.
OLE also owned various areas of the city and the coast; its assets were transferred to the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (TAIPED in Greek) in 2012. Consequently, the city’s municipal authorities have absolutely no ownership of the areas regulated or owned by OLE.
During my childhood, we used to swim there; there was no port, it was constructed by a group of Symiots in 1928, and if these people were alive today, they would have to be 140-150 years old–of course, they aren’t alive… After 1967, when this place began to take form and became a port, which, if I’m not mistaken, was finished around 1973-1974 and consisted of the buildings, the port authority, the customs office, and an old-looking building, the Elefsis Port Authority.
GIORGOS ROKAS
SIXTH US FLEET
On the 21th of November 1973, while the country was in a state of emergency in the aftermath of the Athens Polytechneio uprising, the Americans put forth a request to the junta government of Markezinis-Papadopoulos to use the air base of Elefsina for US aircrafts carrying non-NATO nuclear ordnance. After the fall of the dictatorship, Markezinis claimed (without confirmation to date) that the overthrow of their government a few days later by Ioannidis was due to the Americans’ displeasure at having their request denied. Still, the relationship between Elefsina and the Americans began earlier. Ten months before, on the 8th of January 1973, the newspaper Makedonia wrote "The facilitations agreement has been signed–Elefsis to become an anchorage". The "facilitations agreement" is none other than the NATO home-porting scheme agreed between the junta government of Georgios Papadopoulos and Richard Nixon’s administration for the mooring of the 6th US Fleet, consisting of six destroyer warships, at specially-designed permanent anchorages in the factory-laden port of Elefsina. The town changed, seedy bars opened along the coast, establishing an area prohibited for the locals. This caused both locals and the municipal authorities of Elefsina to react and organize protests, which often took on an air of anti-dictatorial opposition. These protests were multiplied during the Metapolitefsi years; in 1975, in an article published in the newspaper Rizospastis, the Communist Youth of Greece issued a call for "militant alertness" to young and old alike, joined both by the PASOK Youth and the Greek Communist Youth "Rigas Feraios" of the Interior Communist Party of Greece, petitioning for the military bases to leave Elefsina. The issue was ultimately resolved through a tragic event: on the 9th of December 1978, the 19-years-old Ioannis Papadopoulos, a regular customer of these bars, murdered the Elefsinian taxi driver Georgios Doukas. Elefsina’s municipal authorities invoked this murder as reason for the temporary shutdown these establishments, initially for 6 months and afterwards permanently. When the Greek-US agreement expired, the 6th US Fleet departed from the port of Elefsina.
The arrival of the 6th US Fleet in 1973 is another episode added to the discontinuities of Elefsina’s development of public spaces. Up until November 1973, besides the fenced dockyards at the west of the old port, the area was further occupied by structures developed for administrative support services and facilities for the accommodation of the families of crews of the 6th Fleet. The US base also took charge of the open-air cinema adjacently to the refreshment bar of Fonias, which, at the time, was intended for the enjoyment of the American sailors only.
RIZOSPASTIS | 12nd OCTOBER 1975
RIZOSPASTIS | 15th OCTOBER 1975
THEY THREW
COCA-COLA
BOTTLES
AT US
However, since the majority of military personnel consisted of unmarried men, "seedy" bars intended for their "enjoyment" opened one after the other in the port areas of Elefsina around the military base. The port gradually became a prohibited area for locals, especially young women.
These nightspots were also visited by young local men who were curious to see the new entertainment grounds. Some of them were associated with the owners of these establishments or with the women who worked in them.
Coexistence with the American sailors was difficult, sometimes brutal, and gave rise to stories about the displacement of local residents. Municipal authorities and residents’ initiatives organized protests and the citizens’ movements against the American military bases often turned into demonstrations against the dictatorship.
THE CAΒAREΤ “AMERICA”
TAXIDROMOS | 3th OCTOBER 1974
TAXIDROMOS | 1975
The area below the old town hall was no-go, you could walk up to the old town hall and back. Below they were getting drunk, break bottles, walk in groups of tens, singing in the streets, everything that we see Americans doing in the movies, right? Yeah, it was almost like Trouba… Half of these establishments in the pedestrian road were cabarets, you know? Well, the sailors had to be catered to, so from that point the area was no-go at night, it was essentially their own place, which is why some locals moved out, and you see houses deserted for years in this area, Rodon fell to ruins.
VAGELIS LIGGOS
GIORGOS MICHOS
MICHALIS MITROMELETIS
PEOPLE
WOULDN'T
GO OUT
RIZOSPASTIS 16th OCTOBER 1975
RIZOSPASTIS 17th OCTOBER 1975
RIZOSPASTIS | 23th OCTOBER 1975
The industrial, logistical, and commercial activity of Elefsina shrunk any spaces which remained public for the benefit of the locals. The state’s contribution to the arrangement of public space was small and focused on central squares and public buildings. The funding came largely from the industry itself through private initiatives organized from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Iroon Square was constructed in 1953 and Laou Square was only developed in 1985.
The twelve-year mayorship (1975-1986) of Michalis Leventis was a very important time for the arrangement of public space in Elefsina. Leventis reformed Elefsina through spaces and infrastructures such as the Thriasio hospital, schools, squares, parks, and playgrounds.
Leventis stayed for three terms because he truly was one the best, even the people of Lower Elefsina voted for him, because he also restored Lower Elefsina; he constructed the square, the beach, the township, which was a complete mess, it had no squares, he built the schools, the hospital, roads… The entire township, in which we were in mud up to here, had a main street over there. That building is where the main street was, Venizelou Street, that one was paved with asphalt, all other streets were mud, dirt, soil, and we had fountains in every corner and block, taking water from the wellspring to bring home for housecleaning, showering, dishwashing, you know? Leventis made things happen for Elefsina.
SPIRIDOULA GKINI
