Preliminary Measures for Preserving the Industrial Heritage of Kalamata

Abstract: This chapter presents the industrial heritage of Kalamata in the early 20th century and some preliminaru measures for preserving this heritage. During this period, the city was transformed into a center of manufacturing production, since artisanal units for processing agricultural products were operating. The main points of interest of the cultural route are the three industrial buildings of the city that have survived to this day, the “Karelia” tobacco factory, the “Evangelistria” Messinian Roller Mills and the Stassinopoulos Brothers’ silk factory, which were erected in the 20th century near the Nedontas River and the port of Kalamata, to house robust primary industries that processed the silk produced in the region, as well as the tobacco and grains transported from other regions of Greece, strengthening the local economy. Other craft units of the city that operated at the same time will also be presented, such as distillery, soap making, pomace oil production, fig processing and electricity units. A proposed cultural route interprets dynamic systems of relationships between people, society, and the environment and focuses on oral testimonies, primary sources and archival material mainly from the same period.