Geopolitical aspects of Jewish presence in the Romanian principalities during the middle ages

Abstract

„Geopolitical aspects of Jewish presence in the Romanian Principalities, during the Middle Ages” is probably one of the very few scientific articles about the geopolitical role of Jewish existence in Romanian territory during the last centuries. Few historians dared to deal with this topic, as it was regarded a very delicate issue. The author is the only geographer that managed to show us some geopolitical aspects regarding the immense role of this ethnic group in the political, economical and social life of the Romanian people during the Middle Ages. Based on various sources of information, and expressing all the facts from a geographical point of view, the author offers us an analytic study of the geopolitical role of Jews who had settled in Romanian territory between XIVth and XVIIIth centuries. Interesting facts are revealed regarding the way Romanian ‘voivodes’ came to the throne and the help they received from the Jews.

Keywords

• Jews
• geopolitics
• intermediary
• trade
• Ottoman Empire