War & Future
THE DRAWBACK
With the Second World war the destruction
arrived to Piraeus: the blowing up of the SS "Clan Fraser" (6/4/41), the heavy
bombing of Piraeus by "allied" aircraft (11/1/44) and the blowing up of port
installations by the Germans during their withdrawal (12/10/44). All ended
in almost the whole destruction of the port.
So it took five years to recover the
previous installations to the war.
Only after 1955 new projects of development
could take place: Demosthenes Pippas, Professor of Port and Harbour Engineering
at the National Metsovian Polytechnic, created some plans of development that
until almost today they have been used with the exception of some redefinitions
to adapt them to the new technologies. From 1982, at the same time of another
period of expansion from 1981 to 1987, a new idea was applied: the development
of the port in close relation with the surrounding area of the city.
Nowadays Piraeus is a modern Metropolis,
major shipping and financial center,
full of confidence about the future, and in its life the port continues having
a main role. Unfortunately the city will have to cope with architectural irresponsibility
and environmental problems but, as Piraeus has known how to conserve its independence
so near Athens, it's sure it will know how to solve its own problems.
