Istoria Galatiului

History of Galati

by Sorin Langu, Galati, Romania

Coat of arms: a vessel on water, in the above field, in right field two fishes, and in left field an anchor.

Galati is located in the eastern of Romania, 45 ° 27 'north latitude and 28 ° 02' east longitude. Situated on the left bank of the Danube, occupying an area of 246.4 km2, at the junction of the Siret River (west) and Prut (east), near Lake Brates, about. 80 km from the sea. The nearest town is Braila, just 15 kilometers south. The town lies on three terraces: Valley City, with an altitude between 5-7 m and the other two, drawn almost fan-shaped, first with an altitude between 20 to 25 m (the core of the medieval town, now city center) and second with altitudes above 40 m (modern city). Life of human communities was directly influenced by the Danube, the second longest river in Europe (2850 km), with an average flow of 6199 this sector cm / s, after receiving the input river Siret an average flow of 210 cm / s (the largest tributary of the Romanian territory).

The river continues its journey to the Black Sea after it receives, at downstream port of Galati, the Prut river, with an average flow of 86 cm / s. Danube flows have a significant variation according to season and year, with maximal values in May (18000-19000 cm / s) and minimum during summer (2000-2450 m / s).

Galati is also resident and largest city of Galati county, district located near the corner of the three borders between Moldovia, Romania and Ukraine. According the latest official estimates by the National Institute of Statistics, the city population was, in 2009, of 290,733 inhabitants; Galati is the 7th city in the country by number of inhabitants. Galati one of the largest economic center in Romania. Galati city has a history because it is placed on the Danube, the most important commercial artery-European waterway, the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. Economic life developped around Naval Shipyard, Port River, around Arcelor-Mittal steel plant and ore port.

The first signs of permanent settlements in the municipality Galati were found on the eastern shore of the lake Mălina (in the northwestern city), where historians discovered fragments of ceramic type Stoicani-Aldeni, stilex and tools made of bone, dating Neolithic. Also in this area, this time on the south bank was found a stone scepter from culture Coslogeni, the end of the Bronze Age period. The city has developped on the basis of an ancient Dacian settlement, existing in sixth-fifth centuries BC, which will see the influence of Roman civilization after the second Dacian War 105-106. New Daco-Roman settlement formed at the ford of Danube, located in the third century AD somewhere south of where the current Virgin Church, which was, in time, nothing left bank of the river crossing. The discoveries made in recent years proves the continuity of the settlement of the Danube Ford in 7^th-11th centuries: Galati hoard of 12 Byzantine silver coins issued between 613-685, cuman tomb of the Virgin Church west and a Byzantine coin of the time Emperor Michael IV Paflagonianul (1034-1041).

The first seal of the borough Galati - fifteenth century

First documentary mention of the city of Galati (then borough) dates from 1445 (in a document signed by Prince Stephen II). Galati has grown in importance after the Turks conquered cities Chilia and Akkerman, in July-August 1484, being Moldova's only port city remaining, with an important role in domestic trade, but also in Polish and Turkish. In 1789, during the Russo-Turkish War of 1789-1791, Galati was burned by the armies of the Russian general Mikhail Kamensky, being one of the many ravages that have been endured by the city in the Russo-Turkish wars at the eighteenth and early nineteenth century.

Galaţi 1826

Despite these hard times, trade and navigation is developed so that Russia established in 1775, first consulate, while France and Britain held the vice-consulates, in 1805. In 1850, the U.S. opens a vice, elevated to the consulate in 1858, by decision of U.S. President James Buchanan to appoint a consul in Galati. Since 1834, Austrian steam ships already scheduled Galati. Furthermore here was an important transit trade with the German countries. Military shipbuilding is a large economic activity so the traveler Boskovice Abbot said: "I saw there a large ship, the way those who say Turks caravels, which is on site, ready to be launched in water. He was commissioned by Isaac-aga, big tax collector of Constantinople. The ship was large, seventeen steps on seventy steps and loaded with eighty-four bronze cannon."

Early nineteenth century finds Galati all involved in crucial events of the time. Thus the city is closely linked to the beginnings of movement in the Romanian Eterist. Action from Galati, as it is known by historians, is a series of events occurring in the Danube port, the establishment of the first Eforii of principalities in the city, culminating in February 1821, with Slaughter of Galati done by Ottoman soldiers.

In 1837, acquires the status of free port of Galati (free port), and after the Crimean War of 1854-1856 is, together with the Sulina, head of the European Commission of the Danube.

Before Unification of Principalities to 1859, the city is led by Al.I. Cuza, the prince of the Romanian Country. His residence is now home to a museum Al.I. Street Cuza station near the city railway station.

Galati 1906, view of Domneasca Street

Free port status, obtained from the initiative of P. Kisselef makes people and trade to grow: in 1834 there were 8,000 inhabitants in 1836 was 10,000, in 1841 was one of the top three ports in Black See, as reflected in a Belgian diplomatic report, for 1873 to reach peak development with imports of 150 million lei, 60 000 inhabitans and 3500 vessels. Heart of the city was the harbor, with docks, warehouses, shops, factories, barns and its fisheries. Port Street is the main artery of Galati, being here all important buildings of the city. The center is located near the port, Costache Negri Square, then called the Royal Square. Here, near the port were the main religious monuments: Virgin Church, the oldest in the city, St. Nicholas Church, cathedral of the city until 1903, Mavromol Church, Vovidenia Church, Greek Church, Bulgarian Church, Armenian Church (built between 1855 and 1859), Russian Church (built between 1861 and 1863), Protestant Church, built in 1862, the Catholic Church, Coral Temple, Mosque etc.

Import cargo was very various: "Bales of textiles, colonial parcels, crates of champagne, banana bags, boxes of Vichy water, crates of oranges, lemons, figs, dates." In May 1853 it bought in Galati for monasteries Neamt and Secu black olive oil and red caviar, loaf sugar, coffee, pepper, soap and fine jams. Until 1866, in Galati 12 consulates were established in : Austrian, French, British, German, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Belgian (a Belgian report called Galati “Alexandria of Danube "), Greek, Norwegian, Dutch, Danish. However, between 1900-1914, the city held a considerable trade in grain and timber. A peasant revolt erupted in the region in 1907, being smothered by the Romanian army. In 1911, Galati is the first city the country with a statue of the poet Mihai Eminescu. In the interwar period (and before), Galati was the capitalof Covurlui county, then in the time of Charles 2^nd the capital of danube County. The city witnessed a great flowering, becoming the 1930 the 5^th in terms of population, with approximately 112,000 inhabitants, being surpassed only by Bucharest, Chisinau, Iasi and Chernauti.

During the 2nd World War, Galati was bombed by German airforce; historical center was almost completely destroyed, railway station, an imposing building, inaugurated the King Charles I of Romania on 13 September 1872, was destroyed like many other historic buildings. The city has of a new flowering in 1965, with the start of the steel plant, then considered the largest in Eastern Europe.

Galati, 1973