Interese economice și consulare ale Austriei și Belgiei în porturile românești. Reprezentanți consulari austrieci și belgieni în Dobrogea (1878 – 1931)
Economic and consular interests of Austria and Belgium in Romanian ports. Austrian and Belgian consular representatives in Dobrogea (1878 – 1931)

Summary/Abstract: The advocacy of the economic, political and geostrategic interests of Austria and Belgium on Romanian territory, in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century had in mind two important dimensions of representation, namely the commercial one, given by the presence and activity of foreign shipping companies operating in our national waters, and the consular representation of the two states in the main cities of Romania. The particular dynamics of these two forms of foreign representation in Romanian port cities highlighted, in addition to the geopolitical and military interest of foreign actors, the significant growth of the economic potential of the Romanian domestic market. The two forms of foreign representation in Romania, economic and consular, functioned complementarily. Austrian shipping had two "spearheads" in Romanian ports, namely the DDSG and Lloyd Austriac companies, while Belgium stood out with the Antwerp Shipping Company. At the same time, states interested in Romania's geostrategic potential and in promoting their own interests in this area have, over the years, set up consular offices of various ranks in Romanian cities, namely: consular agencies, vice consulates (honorary vice-consulates), consulates (honorary consulates) and consulates-general (general honorary consulates), all enjoying functional autonomy, although under the political coordination of the legations (embassies) in Bucharest. Starting 1878, in view of the new political realities marked by the achievement of Romania's independence and the return of Dobrogea to its natural borders, the interest of the great powers in extending their levers of influence to the cities of this province increased. In this context, Austria inaugurated consular offices in all three important ports in the region, namely Tulcea, Sulina and Constanta, as well as Belgium, only in Sulina and Constanta. The geopolitical and military interest of the two Western powers in the Dobrogea region also accounted for its economic potential. Throughout the time frame of the analysis, the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attest the presence of 19 consular officials of the two countries in the ports of Dobrogea. For that period and compared to the Austrian and Belgian consular presence on the entire territory of Romania, a rather rich dynamic of consular staff of these states in the Dobrogea area is present.

• Details
• Contents