Page 74 - Mellinato, Giulio, and Aleksander Panjek. Eds. 2022. Complex Gateways. Labour and Urban History of Maritime Port Cities: The Northern Adriaticin a Comparative Perspective. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 74
plex Gateways
which the companies of the western countries played a leading role. The
Habsburg Empire did not have a battle fleet and merchants could not be
provided with the necessary protection. However, if it wanted to develop
the economy and encourage trade through the main state ports, it could
not give up on the establishment of a large company that could provide
a significant incentive to trade. The previous, both good and bad, expe-
riences again pointed towards Antwerp – to the powerful banking and
trade centre that could simply and successfully develop the imperial ini-
tiative (Lindemann 2017, 1–18, 175–85).
The establishment, organization, and investors
of the Trieste-Rijeka Trading Company
In the middle of the eighteenth century, the Court Chamber launched
a new trading company with great ambitions. It was very clear to the
Viennese that they had to entrust the traffic that they, too, wanted to
drive through the ports of Trieste and Rijeka to the business people
from the Austrian Netherlands (Hoffmann 1932, 17–54, Hoffmann 2006,
45–65).
The founding of the Trieste-Rijeka Trading Company was conceived
by Count Philipp Kinsky (Prague 1700 – Vienna 1749), the president of
the Court’s Banking Commission (Banco Hofdeputation), at the end of
1740.2 Kinsky died before the completion of the work that was contin-
ued by his successor, Count Rudolph Chotek (Belušice, Czech Republic
1708 – Vienna 1771), the president of the Court Chamber and head of the
Commercial Directorate (Kommerzdirektorium), and the president of the
Court’s Banking Commission (Banco Hofdeputation) from 1749 to 1765.
Chotek obligated the Austrian administration in Brussels to approach
the leading business people in Antwerp and to persuade them to partici-
pate in the founding of a new company with ambitions.3
2 Philipp Kinsky, a member of the Czech aristocratic family, during the reign of
Charles VI was ambassador to London from 1728 to 1734, and from 1741 after the
enthronement of Maria Theresa, he was the Empress’s close friend and adviser, as
well as the chancellor of the Czech court office and finally president of the Court
Banking Commission (Banco Hofdeputation). He was attributed with various per-
sonal abilities but also as being obstinate and arrogant, due to which he was not
particularly popular.
3 To date, many texts have been written about this company that primarily pro-
duced sugar and traded in various goods; however, the correspondence between
Vienna and Antwerp was slightly unclear, nor have the main protagonists of the
Company been researched sufficiently. Although material about the Company is
74
which the companies of the western countries played a leading role. The
Habsburg Empire did not have a battle fleet and merchants could not be
provided with the necessary protection. However, if it wanted to develop
the economy and encourage trade through the main state ports, it could
not give up on the establishment of a large company that could provide
a significant incentive to trade. The previous, both good and bad, expe-
riences again pointed towards Antwerp – to the powerful banking and
trade centre that could simply and successfully develop the imperial ini-
tiative (Lindemann 2017, 1–18, 175–85).
The establishment, organization, and investors
of the Trieste-Rijeka Trading Company
In the middle of the eighteenth century, the Court Chamber launched
a new trading company with great ambitions. It was very clear to the
Viennese that they had to entrust the traffic that they, too, wanted to
drive through the ports of Trieste and Rijeka to the business people
from the Austrian Netherlands (Hoffmann 1932, 17–54, Hoffmann 2006,
45–65).
The founding of the Trieste-Rijeka Trading Company was conceived
by Count Philipp Kinsky (Prague 1700 – Vienna 1749), the president of
the Court’s Banking Commission (Banco Hofdeputation), at the end of
1740.2 Kinsky died before the completion of the work that was contin-
ued by his successor, Count Rudolph Chotek (Belušice, Czech Republic
1708 – Vienna 1771), the president of the Court Chamber and head of the
Commercial Directorate (Kommerzdirektorium), and the president of the
Court’s Banking Commission (Banco Hofdeputation) from 1749 to 1765.
Chotek obligated the Austrian administration in Brussels to approach
the leading business people in Antwerp and to persuade them to partici-
pate in the founding of a new company with ambitions.3
2 Philipp Kinsky, a member of the Czech aristocratic family, during the reign of
Charles VI was ambassador to London from 1728 to 1734, and from 1741 after the
enthronement of Maria Theresa, he was the Empress’s close friend and adviser, as
well as the chancellor of the Czech court office and finally president of the Court
Banking Commission (Banco Hofdeputation). He was attributed with various per-
sonal abilities but also as being obstinate and arrogant, due to which he was not
particularly popular.
3 To date, many texts have been written about this company that primarily pro-
duced sugar and traded in various goods; however, the correspondence between
Vienna and Antwerp was slightly unclear, nor have the main protagonists of the
Company been researched sufficiently. Although material about the Company is
74
