e City of Galați until the Beginning of the 19th Century

Abstract

For over two centuries, Galați was the only port of Moldova. Through which agricultural products from Moldova were exported to the Pontic and Mediterranean regions, also large quantities of food products in the form of army provisions (zaherea) were sent to Istanbul, as well as a lot of objects produced by foreign craftsmen were imported, some of them also reaching neighboring countries. Starting from 1834, Austrian steamships made regular runs to Galați. Also, there was transit trade with the German countries, the importance of the construction of large military ships increased, etc. The locals enjoyed favorable conditions for the production of various material goods, especially the favorable geographical position for carrying out the exchange of goods, which allowed them to earn money from the sale of their products. The approach represents a panoramic presentation of the Galați city in the light of the records and itineraries of several travelers and merchants who had visited it until the beginning of the 19th century. Due to the foreign domination, the number of inhabitants of the town was very small. In the course of time, the town of Galați, as well as other localities in Moldova, suffered numerous material damages due to the military confrontations carried out by the great powers. The city experienced an upswing in its development only after the foreign domination over the Romanian extra-Carpathian territory was liquidated.

Keywords

• galați
• port
• customs
• trade
• merchant
• ottoman administration
• army provisions (zaherea)
• church