“Smell that fresh air” I say. That’s the scent of Egaleo’s rebirth. Years ago this area was choked by smog. A gunpowder factory dominated the landscape. Explosions were frequent. Workers died in the dark tunnels. Their stories are almost forgotten. Only the sealed-up galleries remain a silent testament to those lost lives.
Welcome to Egaleo a municipality in western Athens. It sits west of the Cephissos River southeast of Mount Egaleo. The mountain gave the town its name meaning goat people. Egaleo boasts a rich and often tragic history. It was a farming area in ancient times famed for its goat meat. Cleisthenes the Athenian statesman who helped establish democracy was born here. From Mount Egaleo Xerxes watched the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. The Persian fleet was destroyed.
Egaleo’s peaceful past was shattered by the construction of the Ellinikon Pyritidopoieio gunpowder factory in 1874. The factory transformed Egaleo into an industrial center. The air was thick with pollution. This factory later evolved into PYRKAL. PYRKAL was Greece’s first modern arms manufacturer. It supplied the Greek army with tens of thousands of bullets daily.
The Greco-Turkish war in 1922 brought massive changes. Refugees from Asia Minor and Pontus including many from Kydonies poured into Egaleo. This led to a name dispute between the refugees who called the area Nes Kydonies and the locals. Ultimately the ancient name Egaleo prevailed.
After World War II during the German occupation a terrible massacre occurred. On September 29 1944 German forces killed at least 65 civilians in Agios Georgios. Some estimates put the number as high as 150. This tragedy is etched into Egaleo’s collective memory.
The factory’s impact continued. During the 1950s it resumed production. Later though the Greek army began importing arms. PYRKAL’s production declined. By the 1970s it had almost ceased except for some hunting shells.
New laws forbidding factories in urban areas finally led to PYRKAL’s closure in 1974. The factory moved to Elefsina. The old site was transformed into a forest. The air in Egaleo is cleaner now. The forest is a beautiful reminder of the town’s transformation.
Egaleo is now home to the University of West Attica. It has a thriving nightlife. It’s a testament to its resilience and its capacity for rebirth. Egaleo is a place of both dark memories and vibrant life. It is a place worth exploring and understanding.