| Paper title: | Comparative Analysis of British, Austrian, and Greek Consular Networks in the Romanian Danube Ports (1850–1900) |
|
|---|---|---|
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.4316/CC.2025.01.05 |
|
| Published in: | Issue 1 (Vol. 31) / 2025 |
|
| Publishing date: | 2025-07-31 |
|
| Pages: | 107 - 128 |
|
| Author(s): | Ionel Constantin MITEA |
|
| Abstract: | In the second half of the 19th century, a growing interest from prominent European actors in the strategic and economic potential of the Romanian Danube ports became increasingly evident. During a period marked by significant events for the Romanian territories (the Union of the Principalities, Romania’s Independence), two major European powers, England and Austria, as well as an "aspirant" to regional power status, Greece, operationalised extensive consular representation networks in the Romanian Danube ports. Through these networks, they protected the interests of their own citizens on Romanian territory and exerted influence to promote their political and economic objectives. Between 1850 and 1900, a total of 212 consular officials from the three states were active in the Romanian Danube ports, namely: England – 25, in 7 cities; Austria – 66, in as many cities; and Greece – 121, in 14 cities. The richest consular representation of the three states was recorded in the Maritime Danube ports, especially in Galați and Brăila. |
|
| Keywords: | consular network, Romanian ports, Danube, Black Sea, Great Britain, Austria, Greece. |
|
| References: | 1. Anuarul Bucureșcilor (Bucharest Yearbook), 1891-1892, Tipografia “Românul” – Carol Gobl. 2. Archive of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Fund Foreign Representatives in Romania – Personnel of Foreign Legations and Consulates (Files 2 – Austria, 4 - England and 7 - Greece) 3. Cernovodeanu Paul, The Anglo-Romanian Economic Relations 1821 – 1856, in Gh. Buzatu, Al. Pascu (Eds.), Anglo-Romanian relations after 1821, Iași, Editura Academiei Române, 1983, pp. 71-74. 4. Constantin Cristian, The Consular activity in Brăila and Galați (1919 – 1940), Activitatea consulară la Brăila și Galați, Iași, 2017; 5. Cosma Ela, Editing Austrian Consular documents from Romanian Principalities and Serbia (1848 – 1849), “Transylvanian Review”, Vol. XXI, no. 4, 2012; 6. Deusch Engelbert, Die effektiven Konsul Osterreich(-Ungarns) von 1825–1918. Ihre Ausbildung, Arbeitsverhältnisse und Biografien, Köln-Weimar-Wien, Böhlau Verlag, 2017; 7. Duțu Alexandru, Anglo-Romanian Cultural relations in a phase of transition, in Gh. Buzatu, Al. Pascu (Eds.), Anglo-Romanian relations after 1821, Iași, Editura Academiei Române, 1983. 8. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie für 1894, Wien, 1893, S. 204-215. 9. Makie Colin, The Diplomatic Service List. A Directory of British Diplomats, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 2014. 10. Mitea Ionel Constantin, Companii de navigație la Gurile Dunării 1830–1939 [Navigation companies at the Mouth of the Danube 1830-1939], Târgoviște, Printing House Cetatea de Scaun, 2022. 11. Mitea Ionel Constantin, Un secol de reprezentare consulară britanică în orașele românești (1834-1941) [A century of British consular representation in Romanian cities (1834-1941)], “ACROSS. Journal of Interdisciplinary Cross-border Studies”, Vol. 8, 2024, no. 5, p. 50-58. 12. Pacu Moise N., Cartea județului Covurluiu. Note geografice, istorice și în deosebi statistice [The Book of Covurlui county. Geographical, historical and statistic information], București, Institutul Grafic I.V. Socecu, 1891. 13. Petrescu Ștefan, Grecii din România: Însemnările de călătorie ale unui jurnalist atenian la sfârșitul secolului al XIX-lea [Greeks in Romania: Travel notes of an Athenian journalist at the end of the 19th century], “Anuarul Institutului de Istorie A. D. Xenopol”, tom LIV, 2017, pp. 179-193. 14. Rados Leonidas, Greci și români în secolul XIX. Aspecte identitare [Greeks and Romanians in 19th century. Identitary aspects], “Xenopoliana. Buletinul Fundației Academice A. D. Xenopol”, VIII, 2000, pp. 73-83. 15. Southern James, A Class of its Own? Social Class and the Foreign Office, 1782-2020, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/media/5f722753d3bf7f47a5587771/Class_and_the_Foreign_Office.pdf 16. The Foreign Office List, forming a complete British Diplomatic and Consular Handbook With maps, showing where Her Majesty's Ambassadors, Ministers, Consuls, and others, are resident abroad; together with a list of foreign diplomatic and Consular representatives resident within the Queen's Dominions. January 1865, https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_YtI9AAAAcAAJ/page/n43/mode/1up 17. Wilson David, List of British Consular Officials in the Ottoman Empire and its former territories, from the sixteenth century to about 1860, https://www.levantineheritage.com/pdf/List_of_British_Consular_Officials_Turkey(1581-1860)-D_Wilson.pdf |
