Piraeus from across the country. A number of events contributed to the development of the city ; among these were its ultimate declaration as the leading port of Greece, the completion of the Athens-Piraeus Railway in 1869, the industrial development of the area in the 1860s, and the creation of the Corinth Canal in 1893, all of which left Piraeus more strategically important than ever. New buildings were constructed to cover the necessities of this growth, such as educational institutions, churches, the Stock Exchange Building, the Town Hall, the Central Market, the Post Office Building and charity institutions; the port was
Piraeus Bank c.30k). As of March 2018, the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund holds 26% of outstanding common shares, while the remaining 74% is held by the private sector (legal entities and individuals). Piraeus Bank is a universal bank providing various banking services. Historically a bank supportive of SMEs it now also possesses particular know-how in the areas of agricultural banking, consumer and mortgage credit, green banking, capital markets, investment banking, leasing and electronic banking. Piraeus Bank and its subsidiaries form the Piraeus Bank Group. A group of shipowners in Piraeus founded "Banque du Pirée" (Piraeus Bank; BP) in 1916 to finance trade.