Serifos
Mines
Mines are a significant part of the history
of Serifos. Certain galleries and plants
exist still for the visitors to see in the
southwest side of the island (Koutalas,
Megalo Chorio or Mia Chorio,
Ěegalo Livadi).
The soil of Serifos, rich in ore deposits,
became a source of wealth for the Gromman
family that undertook the mining of iron
ores by assuming the administration of the
“Serifos – Spiliazeza” Company. The company
was founded by the French mining company of
Lavrio and the neoclassical building that
used to house the company’s headquarters
located in the settlement of Megalo Livadi
in the southwest side of the island exists
until today. The exploitation of Serifos
mineral resources by Emilios Gromman began
in 1885, when he contracted with the
company.
 Gromman
virtually compelled many inhabitants of the
island to work in the galleries asking them
to forfeit their land or forcing them to
give it over to him against a miserable
wage. During this period, the island's
population increased by approximately 2,000
people since workers came from other islands
of the Aegean (Paros, Karpathos, Amorgos,
etc.) as well as from other regions of
Greece (e.g. Peloponnisos) to work in the
mines. Working conditions in the mines were
very harsh, and according to the historians,
thousands of workers lost their lives in the
mine galleries due to the inhuman working
conditions and to the lack of safety
measures.
The exploitation of human labour continued
even after Emil Gromman’s succession by his
son Georgios. The workers were forced to be
at the galleries at dawn and leave at sunset
and since their homes were found in remote
regions of Serifos they would have to walk
several kilometres across the
paths of the island to reach the mines.
Certain of these paths exist to date in the
island, such as the one leading from the
region of Giftika to Chora and it is part of
an old miners' path.
The Strike
>>>> |
