"Prima companie austriaca de naviga?ie cu piroscafe pe Dunare" in porturile romanesti (1829–1938)
"The first Austrian steamboat shipping company on the Danube", in the Romanian ports (1829–1938)

Summary/Abstract: The times between the Treaty of Adrianople and World War II were favorable to the Danubian navigation growing within the Romanian area, except for some breaking intervals. The international commerce of the Danubian hinterland, mainly through the agency of foreign shipping companies, was characterized during the 19th century by a diplomatic war among the great European powers. Russophobia that London chancelleries kept internationally up during the second quarter of the 19th century was for the public opinion a subject as topical as controlling of any epidemics on the continent. The two British contractors John Andrews and Joseph Prichard had got in 1829 an exclusive privilege being allowed to navigate steamboats on the Danube, for three years. It was the context of “The First Austrian Steamboat Shipping Company on the Danube” (Erste österreichische Donau Dampfschiffahrts Gesellschaft – D.D.S.G.) coming into being. The steamboat “Francis I” made the test way between Vienna and Budapest in September 1830, and revolutionized so the European navigation. Soon after the regular navigation between Vienna and Constantinopole would better connect the Oriental world with the Occidental realities in the “century of nations”. For the present study I have used besides a series of works preponderately published in West Europe, unplublished documents from the Diplomatic Archives of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bucharest, stock: Problema 68 (Societăţi de navigaţie fluvială, maritimă, aeriană: române şi străine). I might turn the readers’ attention to the fact that I won’t insist on the life and sociability on the ships that navigated on the Danube during the 19th century, however much exotic and captive would be such a subject.

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