Before the withdrawal of the German troops from Athens in 1944, the portico at the base of the Dam (below the building which is a copy of the Athenian Treasury) was filled with dynamite. There seem to be a great many accounts regarding the removal of the explosive charge. According to some, it was removed by the Germans themselves while others suggest that it was withdrawn by the battalions of the Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS). In addition, according to other oral testimonies, the explosives are believed to have been removed by the employees of the Hellenic Water Company, who proceeded to the task after the withdrawal of the Germans with technical support provided by the British military forces that were in Athens in order to ensure the deactivation of the remaining explosive material. One plausible theory is that the explosion of the Dam was prevented due to the pressure exerted on the Commander of the German Occupation Troops, General Felmy, by the political and religious forces of the time.