I

Cover design: Ionel CAndea

DTP: Camelia Hristian
Photography: Gabriel Stoica, Marian Ghiveci, Roberto Tinisache
Greek translation: Iulia Marica Saridache
Russian translation: Evdochia Smaznov

Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Nalionale a Rominiei

Greeks, jews, Lipovan Russians, Turks ... Briila / editors:
Camelia Hristiary Ghena Pricop, Evdochia Smaznov;
English translation by Gabriela Debita' - Briila : Editura

...Greeks, f ezns, Lipoaan Russians, Turks ...

Brdila.

Istros a Muzeului Briilei, 2014

ISBN 978-6 06-654-125 -1'
I. Hristian, Camelia (ed.)
IL Pricop, Ghena (ed.)
III. Smaznov, Evdochia
IV. Debita, Gabriela (trad.)
323.1

@2014,Museum of Briila ,,Carol I". Istros Publishing House

Cultural project
developed by the Museum of Briila, in partnership with the Briila County
Council, the Hellenic Community of Brdila, the Federation of Jewish
of the
Communities of Romania - Briila Community, the "obscina" Foundation
Briila,
Romania,
of
Community
Russian
Lipovan
and the Turkish Democratic Union of Romania - Briila (2012)'

Cultural Project
financed by the Natiolral Cultural Fund Administration

Editors:
Camelia Hristian
Ghena Pricop
Evdochia Smaznov

English translation by
Gabriela Debita

ISTROS PUBTISHING

MUSEUM OF BRAILA
,,CAROL I"

BRAILA,2Ol4

BRAILA'S ETHNIC COMMUNITIES - A EUROPEAN AFFAIR

(19L9 - 1e40)

CRISTIAN CONSTANTIN-

The city of Briila has long functioned as a center of ethnic

to fulfill in the
cooperation ur,d tol"ra.,.e, a role which it must continue
futoru. Only a port city of such economic importance could attract' like
the world' After all
a magnet, merchants and ship-owners from all over

means
wateiways have always served as the most affordable and secure

of communication and transportation, enabling both commercial and

cultural exchanges to flourish.

Many oi Breilu't ethnic denizens did not have Romanian

citizenship. Acting under the protection of various entities' they
other
cultivatei relationships with the diplomatic representatives of
states.Thegoalofthispaperistodescribe,onthebasisofdiplomatic
reportsand"archivaldoctrments,themulticulturalsocietywhichhad
to oral
flourished in Briila during the interwar period. In'addition

history, the collected memories of various ethnic communities published

to daie, local archival sources (which have been considerably better

documentedinrecentyears),foreignarchivalsourcesfocusingonthe
exile of the ]ewish community, and foreign consulate archives provide
new and interesting information'
According to statistical data collecte d by oficir't stdrii Civile de pe
20
I6ngd Primdria Brdila lThe City of Brdila's Registryl' there were
represented
nat-ionalities living in Brdila in the year 1932. Romanians
important
other
and
Greeksl.
by
]ews
66% of the populatiory followed
.

Paper selected for inclusion in the "Discover

Multicultural Briila" competition database'

Theauthorisasecond.yearMAstudentintheDepartmentofHistory,Philosophyand

At the Crossroads of
Theology at the Dunirea de Jos University, Galali (area of interest:
Two Worlds

Romania betzoeen Enst and Westl'

I Glr. Mihdiles ot, Populalia Brdilei studiu de demogrnfie ilinamicd 9i

Briilei", lV ,

'1932,

pp.

1O6-1'37

See

Table

'

475

statisticd,

in "Analele

I
and active communities were the Italian, French, British, and Belgian
ones, each of which consisted of approximately 1,000 citizens and a
diplomatic attach6. During the interwar period, each of Briila's ethnic
communities coalesced around one or more significant figures, all of
whom represented their respective groups in a distinguished and
honorable manner. This paper will attempt to present, on the basis of
historical documents, some previously unpublished information
regarding several ethnic communities living in Briila during the interwar
period. Our research focuses both on the presentation of commercial,
political, diplomatic, and cultural relations initiated by important figures
from communities which maintained consular representation in Briila,
but also on the relationship between these figures and members of their
respective communities.
1. Foreign

Diplomats in Briila

Emblematic Figures

Briila's Jewish community was sizable. Due to the fact that the
of Israel was not established until 1948, the ]ewish population
sought the protection of various European states, in addition to that
conferred by Romanian citizenship. Some of the members of this
community served as diplomatic attachds of European countries with a
diplomatic mission in Briila. Examples include the Mendl, Grupper, and
Heinerich Braun (Dr. Haim) families.
Heinerich Braun2, also known as Dr. Haim, was born tnMay 1.874
and attained Romanian citizenship on February 21., 7919. FIe was a
notable member of the Jewish community in Briila, but also an ardent
defender of Czechoslovakian interests during his tenure as consul of this
country. Heinerich Braun owned a private company, which operated as
a shipping and customs shipping office. Together with his wife Feighe
State

(Fany), n6e Grunberg, he had a daughter, Leontina (7), and a son, Marcel
(12)3. The Braun's family residence was located at no. 70 Carol Blvd. in

Documents regarding Dr. Haim's life often refer to the

commercial activities carried out by his company in the Briila harbor
area. Heinerich Braun's private company, located on Misitiilor St.4, was
registered with the City of Briila Courthouse on June 11, 1913.
On August 15, 1.91.6, Braun received his deployment orders. He
completed his military training with the Financial Administration

Briila.

Bureau between October 1,

191.6

and October 6, 19'1.6. Between October

9110, 191,6 and November 1, 191.6, he was hospitalized at the Bilcescu

Hospital, and on November 21., 191.6 he was assigned to the Militia
191.8, he was dismissed from the battalion and
to existing documents, Heinerich Braun did not
According
dischargeds.
engage in morally questionable behavior and did not commit any
dishonorable or treasonous acts.
Members of the Mendl family, also Jewish, were involved in the
1907 revolt and came close to leaving the country, fearing severe
repercussions from the employees of their leasehold estates. Several
members of this family were able to obtain the protection of influential
European states. A 1913 table produced by the Consular Corps of Briila
indicates that three members of the Mendl family served as diplomatic
attach6s. Alfredo B. Mendl defended Belgian interests in Briila, while
Achille B. Mendl and Victor B. Mendl oversaw Norwegian and Swedish

Battalion. On May 75,

interests, respectively.
The Agrarian Reform, which came into force at the beginning of the
interwar period, had significant impact on the Mendl family's affairs.
Nevertheless, the family continued to reside in Briila. Documents issued
n 1922 attest the presence of Alfred Mendl, Norwegian Consul, and

Victor Mendl, Swedish Consul. The former continued to hold this

position until the Second World War6. The Mendl brothers maintained
an intense correspondence with local economic and commercial
institutions, and especially with various ship agencies, which could
facilitate the export of grains produced on their estates to European
l lbiilem, f .1.

Serviciul Judelean al Arhivelor Nalior,ale Briila (her-rceforth cited as SIAN BR\, Coleclia
Agenlii d.e uapoare Brdila, flle no. 7717933, f. 3 urm.
2

lhident.

476

s lbident f .5.
6 Information retrieved from archival sources and Briilan periodicals published during
this period. Also see SJAN BR, Pre.fecturn judelului Brriila Collection, file no. 5011940, f . 8.

477

''""$

markets. In 1918, Victor B. Mendl served as president of Brdila,s

Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while his brother, Alfred B. Mendl,
served as President of the Briila stock Exchange in 19267. The Mendl
residence, located in Poligon square, became the home of the panait
Istr ati Libr ary, Briila's County Library.
Conrad Grupper was a ]ewish-Romanian citizen who held several
public offices during the 1930s. rn 7932, he served as president of the
Briila Stock Exchange, and starting on March 24, L9g3, he became the
diplomatic attach6 of Panama to Briila. Throughout this decade, he
carried out his commercial activities in the Briila harbor area by means
of his private enterprise, G. t F. Grupper s.A. - Comision gi expirtator de
cereales. Contemporary documents reveal certain illegal activities
carried
out by Grupper's company, which were not prosecuted due to the fact
that the courts responsible for the arbitration of these issues were, at the

time, under the control of major grain exporters and foreign attachdse.
In addition to members of the Jewish community, a number of
notable representatives of Briila's other ethnic communities also served
as foreign attachds. starting in the 19th century, the Boscoff family (and,
later on, the Boscoffs' business associates, the Vuccino family) assumed
the leadership of the French diplomatic mission in Briila, as well as that
of the Imperial Russian mission. Ana-Maria vele,s doctoral research
summarizes available data regarding French diplomatic representatives
in Romania between 1866 and 19'L4io. In 1gg4 a member of the Boscoff
family was appointed Vice-Consul of France in Brdila, replacing a certain
M.N'11. The presence of the Boscoff (or Boskoff) family is documented in
Briila around 1845, when a Gheorghe Boskof served as Director of the

Philemboric Bank. For a short while, a member of the Boscoff family

served as Russia's diplomatic representative in Briila. During this
period, the family donated the necessary building materials for the
construction of the Armenian Church in Briilal2. After 1908, Boscoff was
replaced with a member of the Vuccino family, Marc Vuccino, who filled
this office until the First World War13. After the war, the French ViceConsulate was placed under the leadership of Charles Vuccino. On
March 14, 1929, Michel Boscoff became the French consular
representative in Briila. The Vuccino and Boscoff families co-owned
several businesses and ship agencies, as follows: Vuccitro t Boscoff,
Fraissinet, and Soci|tt FranEaise de Nnaigation Dantrbienne - founded in
Paris in 1920 and active in Brdila one year later. During the 1920-1940
period, both Vuccino and Boscoff were involved in disputes with the

port workers' trade unions. In 1923, Vuccino donated 1,250 lei to the
Petre Annencea Library in Briila for the acquisition of foreign books
translated into Romanianra. Archival data reveals that in March 1940,
Michel Boscoff was unmarriedrs. Studies commissioned after 1990,
which coincide with the revival of French interest in the Lower Danube
area, also make references to the history of French navigation companies
in the aforementioned regionr6.
The Boscoff and Vuccino families exerted significant influence
over the grain trade on the maritime Danube. By means of their direct

Muncii Bniirn collection, file no. 1.411.gg3, t.3g2.

Muncii Brdila Collection. The files in this collection
reveal that Grupper employed unskilled workers for trimming jobs in order to
avoid
paying the minimum rates negotiated with the trade unions.
r0 Ana-Maria
Yele, Re\rrezentarea dipromnticd n Franlei ht Ronfinin 0g66-1914), in ,,Anuarul
Institutului de Istorie "G. Bariliu,, din Cluj-Napoca,,, tom. XLVII, 200g, pp.143_1,56.
11 Despite consulting
both French and Romanian diplomatic archives, Ms. vele was
unable to establish the identity of M.N.; irt lbidem., p.1.4g.

Maria Sloica, Brdiln. Memoria oraguhri. hnaginea unui orng rominesc din secolul nl XIX-len,
Istros Press - Museum of Briila, Briila, 2009, p.563.
13
See Ana-MariaYele, op. cit., p. 1.54 and AnuaruI Brdilei 7913, Brlila, 1913, p. 99.
14 "ln addition, it is my honor to attach the sum of 1,250 (one thousand two hundred and
fifty) lei, which Jacques Vuccino requested that I forward to you as a donation. The funds
shall be used to purchase the best available Romanian translations of Latiry French, and
Italian classics for the library under your leadership. Following the purchase, we would
like to ask that the list of books be forwarded to Mr. Vuccino." In SJAN Brllla, Prinfiia
nunicipiului Brriila Collection, file no. 2911923, f . 1.1, apud. Brdila fle de istorie. Documente
prioind istoria orngului L919-1940, vol. Il, Bucharesl,'1989, p.172.
t5 SJAN B& Pre.fectura judelului Brdila Collection, file no.50/1940, f. 8.
16 The document in question is dated
June 1, 1990 and includes a report on navigation on
the Rhine-Main-Danube route. The report was prepared by the Conseil Genernl iles Ponts
et Chaussees for the French Ministry of Transportation and Commerce.
See
http://temis.documer
00487491 74978. pdf. (accessed September 20,201'2) .

478

479

Se"

(accessed September 2Q 2012).

8

slAN B& Inspectorntul

'

SJAN

Regionar ar

B& Inspectorntul

Regional nl

12

I
involvement in the affairs of the Commercial Arbitrage Court and
thanks to the vice-consular positions they occupied and to the navigation
companies and commercial agencies they owned, the two families were
able to control, at least in the 1920s, the extent of the grain trade, the
amounts allocated to grain acquisition, and the port workers' wage rates.
As previous sfudies have shown, Romanian grain exports to Westem
markets declined considerably during the interwar period, and were
accompanied by increased levels of dissatisfaction among the work{orce
due to frequent legislative changes and numerous strikes. The majority
of disputes between business owners and trade unions mention the
names of these two families, who were often able to secure favorable
resolutions, unlike the Greeks, Romanians, and Italians involved in port
operafions17.

After the First World War, the position of Vice-Consul of Great

Britain in Briila was filled by Mr. Mariotti. Mariotti made headlines in
1923, following a public scandal in which he was irnplicated along with
his wife. Local archival sources reveal that during the month of February
7923, the British attachd's wife fell victim to a robbery. On February 8,
1923, at around 9 o'clock, Mrs. Mariotti was robbed of 800 lei while she
was retuming from the market place. According to the diplomatic
attach6's statement, the theft occurred on the heels of a failed attempt,
which had taken place on February 3 of the same year. As a result of
these events, the number of guards patrolling Briila's central streets was
increasedrs.

in London'
an associate of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects
works consulting comPany
Together with Aschbold, he owned a public
C'A' Rosetti St' He
(architects, exPerts, and engineers), located atno'7'
Ltoyd's Regis-tet of
acted as the representatirie of several comPanies:
Bureau of Shipping' and British
Shipping, Registro Nattalo ltnliano, Ametican
Shipping' Close to the beginning of the First
i"rprrr:ri""i"r the Registry of-Hortensia'

World War, he muuiei

a local woman' who had

been

had a son from her first

previously married in Constantinople' The latter
22' 1gl2 in Constantinople'
marriage - Roger Fresco-Corbu, bom on ]uly
1936' when his
September
in
who acted in a management capacity
Corbu was the
steffutner was unable Io """'"i'" his functionsle' Jack
roman lThe
paailion
sub
author of Chestiunea tnfiinldrei unei linii maritime
Maritime Routel2o' Corbu passed away on
Issue of Estabtishing a Romanian
in Bucharest' leaving his estate to
I,r.," e, 1938, atthe Central Sanatorium
documented in the English
his wife. The inheritance proceedings2l were
press.

William Watson was confirmed

as

Vice-Consul of Great Britain in

during which,British
Brdila on September 4, 1939, following a period

interestswereoverseenbytheBritishattachdinGalafi.Watson,s

re

Collection' file. no' 30/L936' f' 16'

SJAN Brtila, Prefectura luile[ului Btdila
sub pattilion romin' Ateliercle
tmei liaii

r corbu

Jack,

Chestiuneo'irfi,4a'"i

tipografice ale ziarului Presa-Lucritorii

^:n"y:
A*^t"lt t311-"

lI;

(accessed

]ack Corbu succeeded Hugh William Border in August 1925. He

held secondary positions with the local consular corPs, was a member of
the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland, and served as

September 19'2012\.
ALL persons having claims
zr "Jack Corbu, Deceased. Pursuant to the Trustee Act' 1925'
Sanatorium Bucharest
Cenfial
The
at
(who
died
against the estate of Rot'^J" Engineer

Further information regarding this section may be found in SJAN B& Ins\tectoratttl
Muncii Brdiln Collection, on the basis of which a more detailed study will be
published at a later time.

required to send particulars thereof

attorney of Hortense Jack Corbu) are
ofluly next, after which date the administrator will
undersigned on or before tne etrr aay
of which the

17

Regional aI

rs 'J'ai I'honneur de porter i votre

connaissance que, en retournait du marchd

aujourd'hui, Jeudi, ir 9.15 heures du matin, ma femme a dtd attaquee par deux hommes au
coin de Strada Regali et de Bulevard Carol. Elle avait remarqud qu'elle a 6td poursuivie
par un de ces hommes et, en retournant Pour lui demander de s'6loigner, elle a 6td
frappde dans le clos par le second qui l'a d6valis6e de son porte-mouraie combinant Lei
800.00." See SjAN BR, Prefecturn ludelului Brdila Collection, file no. 8211923' fi.10-12.

480

una of whose English estate letters of

Roumania on the 6th a"V'J lL" fbSA
the
on the 27th day of April 1939 granted by
administration with the Wiit annexea were
Limited as
Company
Trustee
and
Executor
Bank
Principal Probate Registry to Midland
in writing to the

only to the claims

proceed to distribute the assets' having regard
Dated 1st day of May 1939' -BADDELEY'
notice'
had
have
then
shall
aclministrators
London, E'C' 3' So[Ators (171) for the said
WARDLAW and CO., Z, Leadenhall StreeL
5'1939'3045' available online at:
Administrator. " lnThe Londort Gazctte'Vray
May
(accessed

http://www.londongazette.co.uMssues/3i522lsupplements/3045/page.pdf
75,2072).

487

residence was located at no. L5, Impdratul Traian

St.z Little is known

about his involvement in Briila's everyday life, since, unlike Jack Corbu,
Watson was a career diplomat. William Watson's principal tasks were to
relay information about the state of affairs in the Lower Danube region
and to cooperate with his colleagues in Galali and Bucharest.
On April 2, 1,930, Jean Bessize (who is often referred to as Besi)
became the Consul of Germany in Briila. During the 1940s, he engaged

in both diplomatic and

a
Adriatica S.A. di Naaigazione, Venezia; Compagnia Genoaese di Nattigazione
and ltalia'
Vapore, 5.A., Genova; Lloyd Triestino S'A' di Naaigazione' Trieste;
in labor
involved
was
company
This
Naaigazione, Genoua2s.

S.A.

di

disputes

with port workers

(specifically, trimmers and forklift

operators).

commercial activities, the latter of which he

carried out through the George Bessi t Fii company. This company acted
as the representative of German companies and ship agencies involved
in labor disputes with the local workforce. Documents reveal that Jean

Bessi requested a number of "privileges" from the local Briilan

authorities regarding the organization of Nazi festivities, and that he
submitted verification requests conceming the religious affiliation of
several German citizens born in Briila. Along with other German
citizens, Bessi was involved in supervising the transport of Romanian
grain shipments to Germany, as a result of treaties signed before the
Second World War.
One of the most important foreign communities in Brdila during
the interwar period was the Italian community. After the treaty of
Adrianople, the Kingdom of Sardinia began to explore the possibility of
opening consular missions in the maritime Danube region.
At the beginning of the interwar period, the office of diplomatic
attach6 of Italy in Briila was filled by L. Arduni. He was succeeded by

Alexandru Gattorno, whose appointment decree was signed on

December 22, 1922 by King Ferdinand I of Romania, on the basis of the
exequatur granted by King Victor Emmanuel III on October 29 of the
same year2a. The Gattorno family owned the Gattorno, S.A.R. navigation

in 1857. It was the oldest enterprise of this kind

Brdila and owned capital amounting to 5,00O000 lei.
Gattorno, S.z{.R. acted as the representative of the following companies:
company, founded

operating

in

Ancheta, TuesdaY, August 22, 193326

At a later time, the authorities in Rome decided to combine the

Galali and Briila diplomatic constituencies, which led to the
appointmentofVittorioSegantiasVice-ConsulinBriila2T.Startingin
Both seganti
r^sio, thu Vice_Consul of Italy in Briila was vicenzo Gulli.

arnong
and Gulli were involved in the distribution of fascist propaganda
Briilan functionaries. In these times of economic recession, their goal

access to
was to popularize Mussolini's Italian model, but also to gain
was
Gulli
Vicenzo
1933,
of
Romanian state secrets. In Febru ary
time'
of
period
short
transferred to Callao, Peru. He was succeeded, for a
by Sonino, and, until a local replacement could be found' by Dr'

23

Municipi,l Brdila o xxl-a Aclunare Genernld a uniunei

2 loan Munteanu, Stradele Brdilei. Documente pentru oiitor, vol. II, Ex Libris Prest Brdil4

octontbie

2009,p.1.19.

26Top story published

23

lbiilem.

1933, p. 1.

21

SJAN BR" Prefectura judelului Bniila Collection, file no. 8211,923, ft. 3-5.

"

482

7937 ,

BrAila,

1937 ,

. 58

oragelor

ilin Rominic

29, 30 qi 31

inlhe Ancheta newsPaPer, year IV, no. 649, Tuesday, August 22'

SIA'I{ BR,Prefectura judtlnluiBrdilaCollectioru fileno'3211928't'25'

483

I
Belafronte2s. Belafronte was appointed at the end of August 1933. The
author of a news story published in Ancheta fThe lnquierer], a Briilan

newspaper/ writes enthusiastically about this appointrnent "His

Excellency's appointment has produced an excellent impression, given
his popularity among the local Italian community." To this appraisal, he
adds important details regarding Belafronte's biography and ideological
leanings: "Dr. Belafronte is part of the youth movement which militates
for the success and good reputation of Italian Fascism abroad; therefore,
his appointment is, without a doubt, a sensible choice.2e" At the
beginning of February 1938, the office of Vice-Consul passed to A.
Pancaldi3o. He was succeeded, on February 24 of the same year, by
Giuseppe Toffoletto, who filled this office3l until the beginning of the
war.

An apparently insignificant group was the Portuguese community,

whose population was considerably smaller than those of the Italian or
Hellenic communities. Three names appear in conjunction with the
leadership of the Portuguese Consulate in Briila: Iosef Goldberg, Spiru
Valerianos, and Panaghi Theodossatos. One of Br5ila's mayors, Nicolae
Petrovici, described Iosef Goldberg's contributions to the govemance of
the city during the Central Power occupation (1916-1913) as invaluable:
"In order to ensure the cleanliness of the city and to prevent the spread
of epidemics, especially in anticipation of a warm spring, a draining
committee was established and placed under the leadership of Iosef
Goldberg, who passed away today * a prosperous ]ew and former
banker unanimously held in the highest esteem.32"

28 See:

"Noul consul al Italiei la Brdila," in Anchetn, year IV, no.649, Tuesday, August

22,

1933, p. 1.

lltiilent. The identity of the writer is unknowry but his enthusiasm regarding
Belafronte's appointment is evident. Belafronte served as one of Mussolini's most
important pawns in the Lower Danube region.
30 SJAN BR Prefectura juilelului
Btdila Collectiory file no. 3211,938, f .7 .
3t

f.70.
Nicolae Petrovici, Brdila sub ocupalie, 23 Decembie

lhidcnu

32 See

Tipografia RomAneasci, Briila 1939.

484

1,916

- 10 Noembre 79'1.8,

Spiru Valerianos took over the leadership of the Portuguese

granted by
Consulate in Briila on fuly 4, 1925, once his exequatur was
King Ferdinand Is.
P. Theodossatos was appointeda on fuly 27, 193'1" In 1940' the
Portuguese Consulate was located at no' 54, Galali St' Contemporary
In the
documents reveal that Theodossatos was not married at the time.
scandal
diplomatic
in
a
summer of 1940, Theodossatos became involved
regarding the issuance of false passports3s' It could be argued that the
model
po"sition Lf relative neutrality adopted by Salazar's regime and the
by Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the Portuguese Consul in

off"red

Bordeaux during the same Period, provided an impetus to extend

Portuguese protection to persons who were seeking refuge outside

the
Romui.ia, at a time when the Romanian goverrunent's relations with

Third Reich were growing increasingly cordial' Following

these

incidents, the affairs of the Brdila Consulate were entmsted to Cristopher

Macry, the Portuguese Consul in Galafis.

2.ForeignSubiectsinBriilaandTheirRelationswithDiplomatic
Attach6s
The Mendl family faced a considerable number of lawsuits' A
Mendl,
memorable case is the 1916 lawsuit brought against Alfredo B.
an
filed
Vice-consul of Norway in Briila. on |uly 3,7922, Panait statatos
i.qruy with the Briila Prefecture, through which he requested
SIAN Br6ila, Prefectura judefutui Brdila collection, hle no.5411925, tt. 63-64.
v ldent, file no.5011940, f.8.
3s The summer of 1940 was a difficult period for many European countries, given the
Under these
expansionist tendencies manifested by Germany and the Soviet Union'
ethnic
to
certain
assistance
their
lent
to
attach6s
diplomatic
of
circumstances, a number
imposed by the
groups, primarily Jews, enabling them to escaPe rePressive measures
i"*'gorr..*ur,t. Thus, they acted against Nazi interests by issuing PassPorts to
*"-i"., of persecuted minorities - in this case, portuguese passports. Itridem, ff.31-32.
* Ihiilem. At the beginning of the second world war, Aristides de sousa Mendes served
at the time'
as Consul of Portugal in France, which was under German occupation
thousands of
issued
he
1940'
of
summer
and
spring
in
the
withdrawal,
French
During the
population
false portuguese passports, which facilitated the emigration of the Jewish
affected by
been
not
had
poitugal
which
countries
to
other
oil,
later
and,
from France to
the ravages of war.

33

485

clarifications regarding Alfredo B. Mendl's diplomatic status. statatos

intended to Iearn Mendl's status in order to proceed with the eviction of
the alleged diplomat. According to information possessed by statatos,
which he forwarded to the Briila Prefecture, Alfredo B. Mendl was using
a certificate issued by the same Prefecture. The certificate attested that
"in March L916, the Ministry of Internal Affairs notified the prefecture

that [Mr. Mendl] had been appointed as Vice-Consul of Norway.3z'

since the communiqud in question did not exist anymore, Statatos
requested the following: "the issuance of a certificate which attests that
no other dispatches regarding Mr. Mendl's continued appointment have
been received since March 1916, and which confirms that the Ministry of
Intemal Affairs' communiqud is no longer on file.38,, panait Statatos
wanted the Prefect to request clarifications from the Ministry of Extemal
Affairs "regarding the circumstances surrounding Mr. Alfredo B.
Mendl's status as Vice-Consul of Norway, considering that His
Excelle.rcy, to our knowledge, functions only as honorary Vice-Consul;
also, whether Mr. Alfredo B. Mendl has been recognized by the state in
question as Vice-Consul post-March 1916 [...]; and regarding Mr.
Alfredo B. Mendl's exact diplomatic status in accordance with
international law.3e" Prefect $erban Rdducan filed an inquiry as
requested, with the view to resolving the dispute surrounding Alfredo B.
Mendl's building. The address of the building in question is not known,
but, according to contemporary documents, Alfredo B. Mendl,s residence
was located at no. 5, Ciliragilor St{.
On July 14 of the same year, the Ministry of Extemal Affairs issued
communiqud no. 35014 through which it notified the Briila prefecture of
the following: "Mr. Alfredo B. Mendl has been operating as Honorary
(therefore unsalaried) Vice-consul of Norway in Briila since February
25, 1916, when his exequatur was signed by His Majesty the King. Since
thery he has continued to function in this capacity, which does not
37

SJAN Brdila, Prefecturn

lbiilem.

juilelultti Btdila Collectiory hle no.117/1,922, f .29.

ie

lbiiknt.
{ The address is recorded in Anunrul General nl oraytlui gi judelului Brdita,1922, Editura
Marea Fabrici "Ancora," Briila, 1,922.

486

l
I
I

require additional confirmation or the renewal of his exequatur,ar,, As

result, the Administrative service of the Brdila prefecture issuedr,a

certificate which would have enabled Panait statatos to proceed with his
eviction case. According to the diplomatic regulations of the timi,
Alfredo B. Mendl, who served as honorary, unsalaried Vice-Consul, was
not entitled to an official residence provided by the Romanian state.
The Italian Consulate in Briila, at the time under the leadership of
ship-owner Alexandru Gattorno, was also involved in a legal matter
regarding one of its subjects. Ckiem Giuseppe, Italian subjecf became
involuntarily embroiled in a conflict with the commander of the
Gendarmerie Post in the Briilila commune. The Italian Consul notified
the Briila Prefecture, through communiqu 6 no. 3U511923, that the Italian
subject in question had been summoned to the Commander's office,
where he was physically assaulted before being released42. on |une 4,
1923, the Prefect of BrSila requested that the Pretor'- of the silistraru
Plasa-'- investigate the events reported by the Italian Consul; the request
was repeated on June 8 of the same yeara3. The Silistraru Pretor's answer
shed new light on the events. His investigation revealed that the Italian

subject was encountered by Lieutenant

I. Ridulescu on May 30, at

12

a.m., in front of the Gendarmerie building. With a gendarme's

assistance, the lieutenant escorted the Italian citizen inside the
Gendarmerie and requested to see his PaPers. After the man provided
identification, he was released. No acts of violence were committed4.
The authenticity of C. Giuseppe's statement cannot be verified, in
the absence of witnesses. However, his statement reveals that he was an
employee of the Societatea Ftanco Romfrnd ITht French-Romaninn

SJAN BR, Prefectwa jille[ului Brdila Collection, file no'

lilem, file no.8211923, f .51.
" Translator's note: the administrative head of a plasa.

11

117 17922,

t' 34'

a2

-'Translator's note: territorial division of Romani4 ranking below county, but above
commune. The division of counties into pligi was practiced during the reign of Carol I,
throughout the existence of the Romanian kingdom, and during the first two years of the
Communist era.
a3

lbidenr, ft.52-53.
lhitlem, 1.58.

487

Company\as. Following the investigation carried out by the local

authorities, it was found that "on the night of May 30, around 12 a.m.,

while on his way home, Lieutenant L Ridulescu, Commander of the

Briiliga Gendarmerie Post, saw a man leaning against the fence of the
Gendarmerie building. The man appeared to be hiding and did not
answer the Lieutenant's questions. Therefore, the Lieutenant called a
gendarme and took the man in custody. After checking the authenticity
of the man's documents and advising him to stop wandering through the
village at night, the Lieutenant released him without further action.6"
On September 10 of the year, the Italian Consul in Briila
Alexandru Gattomo, forwarded Silvio Tomasich's complaint to the local
authorities. In his complaint, Tomasich stated that he was physically
assaulted by a gendarme while waiting for the tram on Regali St. with
several friendsaT. The Briila Prefecture requested that the Gendarmerie
investigate the Tomasich case. Captain Gherghescu, Commander of the
2nd Gendarme Battalioo stated that three individuals had been seen
urinating in public in front of the Gendarmerie. "While we were
admonishing them for engaging in such improper behavior, one of the
individuals, namely Fortunescu Iory answered impertinently, for which
he was reprirnanded. The other two left immediately.n' After a fbw
minutes, "while waiting for the tram on Regali St. corner with Grivila
[...] Captain Gherghescu heard Italian subject Silvio Tomasich swearing
and telling Fortunescu to file a complaint. As a result, [Tomasich] was
escorted to the Gendarmerie, where his statement was taken with a view
to filing charges for public disturbance and verbal abuse. A copy of the
statement is enclosed. He was then immediately released, without being
assaulted or taken into custody. t...1 If the Italian subject Silvio Tomasich
does not apologize for his behavior, he will be sued 1..'7.nt' The
Gendarmerie building was located 50 yards from the place where the
three individuals were urinating. At the end of the month, the Consulate

as

lbiilem, f .59.

a8
1e

ttot"urr"ur"

lbidem,tt.7G77.
lbidem, f .75.

the case was

Briila Gendarmerie's report and

complaint
kinds of incidents' like the aforementioned
against

local authorities
po*"t exerted by,the
this period' Causes
during
certain foreign titi'""',t *"'" "o**on
as Briila's
context' and en"i'lnment' such
precarious

regarding the abuse of

include
"d"utiott'The socio-economic changes which occurred
emerging industrial zones'
workers into
transformed fishermen and port
during the interwar p"tt"i
opened factories'
si*i: iuu-"", "t"pioy""' of the newly
was
Austrian citizen who' in 7923'
Maximilian Koi *u' an
Briila'
in
in Dr' Leo Balter's medical office
working as a dental t;h;*
in Gala$
Consulate
issued-by the Austrian
According,o u "o*t"iq"6
Consulate
the
to
Bloch presented himself
on October 6, lgzS,Maximilian
no'
no' Z0gi0 and free Passage document
on this date, "with O"*n*t
order
in
\3' 1g23by the BrXiIa Safety Brigade'
4947 issuedo,t S"pt""'Uu"
Romania by
threatened with expulsion from
to report that he h"';;
this threat
why "Leo Balter has resorted to
Dr. Leo Balter'5o" fn""*'on
and the
office
medical
the owner of the
is related to a dispute between
cannot
reasons'
Koch, who, for various
dentar technician, Maximilian
seek
to
Mt' Leo Balter's office and wishes
continue rri, u"tproyJ"Ii;
Balter's
Briila' one of Dr'

with another dentist in

tt:t *.-tala!i' Michel A1$"t' requested
competitors.sl" The ;;;
case and that
carry out an investigation itt Tt
that the Briila Prefecture
officially
been
had

employment

Dr' Balte/s vfrsio"

Koch not U" a"tui''"J until"
of October 23 the Briila Police
confirmed. Following its investigation'
authorities and to the
,""t tft" i3fi"*i"g rJport to Briilan
Prefecture

AustrianConsulatei''CutuElfthasbeenestablishedthatDr'LeoBalter
Koch' The
with the plaintiff' Macsimilian
signed a contract in Ui""""
that at the end of his employment' lKoch]
terms of trus contract stated
the plaintiff and
Balter] hllnothing against
must leave the country' [Dr'
Koch
him After uU' L u foreign subject' free
may not tuke measu'J" ugui't't
ala7,.lnd a
the locar safety Brigade, no-.
has an individual rn" *tir,
basis of Safety
the
on
iss'iea
Passage

x lbidem.
a7

received a copy of the

dot"*""t *itt' tf'" 'u*" "'''*b"'

lhiclem, f .8O'
sl Ibidem.

lhiilem.

488

489

I
and Police Directorate order no. 66107 from september 1,1,923, which is

valid until December 2, 1.923 1.. .l.ur"

Another interesting incident took place on January 3, 1g2s. on this
date, the Greek Consul in Briila sent a communiqu6 to the Breila
Prefecture (no. 1139/1,925), through which he notified local authorities
about an incident which had taken place earlier that days3. According to
the Greek diplomat's statement, a certain Dennis Milliaresis, son of
spyridon Milliaresis, had caused a disturbance in the consular building.
Having presented himself to the Consulate to request a certificate,
Dennis Milliaresis had become displeased with the length of the waiting
time and started acting unruly. The Consul felt the need to intervene
and had Milliaresis removed from the building. The report confirmed
the fact that this was not the first time when Milliaresis had displayed
this kind of behavior, and requested that the young man be ctosely
monitored in order to avoid future incidents. As a resulf the prefect of

Briila issued a clear response, requesting that the Briila police prefecture
take "immediate measures against this individual to prevent future
incidents.il" The Brdila Police prefecture ensured that Milliargsis
regretted his behavior, according to the following communiqu6, seni to
the Prefecture on January 22, 192s: "the aforementioned Miliaresis was
called in and told in no uncertain terms to never repeat the sort of
behavior he had displayed at the Consulate.ss" At the end of
Januar/, the
results of the investigation were forwarded to the Greek Consulate. The
Prefect of Briila, Ignat, asked the Greek Consul to notify him ,,if the
aforementioned gentleman engages in improper behavior ever again.F^6,,
On July 13, 1925, Greek citizen Georges panaghi Kavopoulos was
arrested "for not having completed his military service in Romania. The
aforementioned individual allegedly possesses a certificate which
authenticates his status as a Greek national and affirms that he has
fulfilled his military service in Greece.sz" The Briila prefecture
s2

lbidem,

lbidem,

proceeded

witil tLe arrest of Mr'

[redacted]' aged 26' using the

his milt-tay service

j'ustification that this young man had not completed
provided with a
been
in Romania. Whereas, Mr' [redacted] has

citizen and affirms that he

certificate which confirms his rights as a Greek
The young man's case was
has fulfilled his military service in Greece'58"
sent by the Greek Arsenal to the Greek

supported

by a

telegram

in the-Consul's
Consulate in Briila, whose contents were reproduced
the Consulate
notified
report: "Finally, the Greek Arsenal Directorate has
is a member
viu tel"g.um no' 1'11'.598, dated April 15' that Mr' [redacted]
Military Reserves'se" As a result' the Gieek

of the Hellenic Navy's

ConsulrequestedthatthePrefectofBriilaintervene"withthemilitary
of Greek national
recruitment authorities in Briila to secure the release
the young man in question is' undeniably'
[redacted], considering that

t.55.

6g11925,

during the interlvar

Poverty continued to plague the Balkan region
enticed
period. Romania's flourishing economy during this time
fortune
their
seek
to
states
young men from other Balkan
numerous

withinitsborders'

E{rnrnBehlul' also known

-^^^ of
^rr--.;l
Ismail Harun
Such was the case

as;

sucri,

aged'23.IsmailBehlulwasbominlstanbulandhadbeenresidin$,since
young man worked
March 1925, atsuleiman Efendi's caf6 in Briila' The
Bucharest solicited
in
in a local cement factory' The Turkish Consulate
of his father' who was
information about Ismail Behlul at the request
August 19' 1927' t}lre
worried about the young man's whereaboutssl' On
to the Briila Prefecture. The
safety service in greila flrwarded its report
at the addresses
,"por, stated that "following investigations carried out
all local cafd
with
indicated in your Order aJ after making inquiries

f.J.
$ Ibidem,
5e

See

f.68.

additional data in lbidcnr'

& lbiilem.

5TSJAN BR,Pre.fecturajudeluluiBrditaCollectioryfileno'341i1927'tf'33-32'

490

Greek subject.6o"

.88.

s SJAN BR, Prefectura judelului Brdila Collectiory

file no.
s lhident, f.4.
5s
lbidem, f .9.
$ lbiiLem, f .10.
37

authorities regarding this

exchanged several letters with local military
in Brdila
.ur". .i..ording to the Greek Consul, "the military authorities

49'.L

I
1

owners and Turkish subjects, we concrude that ISMAIL HARUM

BEHLUL, called SUCR! is not known.62,,

Briila's foreign residents were not arways above crime. one such
case, dating back to the summer of 1927, involved a
Greek nationar. The
Greek Consulate in Briila notified Briilan authorities of Constantin
chr.
Joanu's murder and requested a thorough investigationos. The person
who reported the crime was another Greek citizen, Dumitru Vas.
Manta,
domiciled at no. 2, Hepites st. The victim, "originally from Greece,
had
entered upon arrival the service of Mr. stoica Drigan, Romanian
citizerL
cheese vendor in Piala Regali
[The Royal Market], who had sent him to
mind his sheepfold in the Batogu Village.en" Manta's statement also
revealed that "Const. Chr. Joanu, a Greek citizen, was found
dead on
July 18 of the current year in the aforementioned village [Batogu],
presenting three stab wounds in the abdominal region, u,
ut
"rtubrirh"d
the hospital in Gara Dudegti, where his body had been taken.6s,,
The
Greek Consulate in Briila asked to be notified about the results
of the
investigation. The investigation revealed that "the Commander
of the
Gendarmerie Post in Batogu was notified
[...]" and discovered that ,,an
individual by the name of Constantin Hadjian was found drowned
in the

Cdlmifui Creek.66"
On September 1,, 1.927, the General Consulate of the Kingdom of
serbia, croatia, and slovenia in Bucharest sent a communiqud to Briilan
authorities, requesting information about Alexa Vasiljevici-Matici.
The
latter "had left his family in Turkana, Serbia, in order to seek
employment in our country. His wife, Suzana, and daughter,
Vaska,
have filed two complaints with the aforementioned Consulate
indicating
that the above individual had abandoned his famiry, Ieaving them
62

According to the communiqud sent by the

Prefecture on August 19, 1927, in Ibidtm, t. 42.
63
lbiilem, f.34.

5s

Briila special safety service to the Briila

See lbiilem.
lbiilem.

6 The

document was issued by the General Administration service of the

Briila
Prefecture on september ,'r, 1g2z. The numerous corrections
sugtest that the victim was
another shepherd working at the same sheepfold, and not
tir" Cior citizen in question.

lbiilem, t.51,.

492

without means of subsistence.6T" The Briilan authorities requested that

the notary of the lnsurilei Commune investigate this case. The results of
this investigation are unknown.
Several of Briila's residents were involved in the default of the
Hellenic-Romanian Bank, which took place n 1,927. On September 17,
'1,927, the President
of the Hellenic-Romanian Bank, Nicolae Anninos,
was found shot inside the bank. Anninos had been President for a year
before this incidenfs. According to information possessed by the Brdila
Prefecture in April 1927, "the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs had
appointed Mr. Andrei Draculis as Deputy Extraordinaire of this
Consulate [the Greek Consulate in Briila].6r" On October 20, the
Romanian Ministry of Intemal Affairs notified the Briilan authorities
that Michel Sakellariadis had been appointed Consul of Greece in Briila,
in the place of D. Iglessis. The Hellenic-Romanian Bank declared
bankruptcy one day later, when Sakellariadis had already been
appointed Consul. Draculis' arrest took place on October 1.9, when the
Greek attach6 in Briila was supposedly SakellariadisTo, a discrepancy
which was noted by the Romanian Ministry of Extemal Affairs on
December 28, 1927. The document also indicates that at the time oi
Draculis' arrest, the Briila Courthouse did not make any references to his
position as Greek Consul.
One thing is certain: at the time of his arrest, Draculis was able to

exercise the privileges of his position as Greek Consul without

impediment. The default of the Hellenic-Romanian Bank was
surrounded by great controversy at the time. It appears that Draculis'
67

The information above was forwarded on Septembet 6, 1927 by the General

Administration Service of the Briila Prefecture to the notaty of the insurilei Commune,
and is based on data provided by the Yugoslavian Consulate in Bucharest on September
1 of the same year. See lbiilem, t. 46.
68 Nicolae Anninos belonged to a family of ship-owners and grain merchants
who
operated in the Galali and Briila harbors. He is known in connection with the first civil
flight on the Bucharest- Galali route. For additional details regarding Nicolae Anninot
see

http://www.adevarul.rolactualitate/?ovestea_primului_pasager_oficial_pe_o_cursa_aeria
na_romaneasca_0_518538413.htrnls (accessed October 6, 2012).
6' SJAN BR, Pre.fectura jud.elului Brdiln Collectiorl file no. 34U1927, I.
59.
n Se lbiilem.

493

I
appointment as substitute consul n 1927 was orchestrated by the same
circle which had arranged Nicolae Anninos' placement at the bank, and
which ensured that the latter would blindly sig.r paperwork which he
did not understand - actions which drove the bank into default and
caused Anninos' subsequent suicide.

Another incident involving a Greek subject and a local police

officer took place in october 192g. Constantin skambavias filed a
complaint with the Greek consulate, in which he stated that after being
summoned to the Police Prefecture in Briila to be questioned about a
different affair, he was physically assaulted by ,,bommissary Migu
stoenescu, who had struck him with a bullwhip and his fists; as a result,
[Constantin skambavias] sustained injuries attested by a medical
certificate" presented to the Greek consulTr. on December 3, 192g, the
Greek Consulate in Briila received the response of the Brdila safety

service regarding the skambavias vs. Commissary stoenescu case. The

report was forwarded to the Constanla Safety InspectorateT2.

Bibliography
Archival Sources:
Serviciul Judelean al Arhivelor Najionale Brdila.
Coleclia Agenlii de vapoare Briila.
Fond Inspectoratul Regional al Muncii Briila.
Fond Prefectura iudelului Briila.

Document Collections:
MOCIOIU, Nicolae; BOUNEGRU Stanca, IAVORSCHI Gheorghe and VIDIS Gabriela;
Brdiln fle rle istorie. Documente piaind istoia orapului 1919-1940, vol. II, Bucharest, 1989.
Periodicals:
Anchetn, year IV, no. 649, Tuesday, August 22,1,933.

Anuarul Brdilei 19L3 , Btdila, 1,913 .

AnuaruI General al oragului gi jude[ului Brdila, 1922, Editura Marea Fabrici "Ancora,"

Brlfla,1922.
Municipiul Brdila a XXI-a Adunnre Genernld a uniunei oragelor tlin Romhnia 29, 30 gi 31
octombrie 1937, Brlila,1937 .
UtU,fufESCU, Gh; Populalia Bfiilei stucliu de demogrnfw clinamicd gi statistisd, in

From 1830 and until the institution of the communist regime in

Romania, Briila served as a haven for a rarge number of foreign .itir".,r.
whether they were merchants or day laborers, honest citizens tr bandits,
members of the financial elite or paupers, they lived amongst the
Romanian majority and left an indelible mark upon their aloptive

"Analele Briilel" , lV, 1932, p. 106-737 .

VELE, Ana-Maria, Reprezentarea iliplomaticd a Frnnlei in Rominia (1856-1,914), in
"Anuarul Institutului de Istorie "G. Bariliu" din CluiNapoca", tom. XLVII, 2008.

society. This paper presents a few previousry unexplored aspects of their

lives and attempts to shed additional light on the interacti,ons between
Romanians and the Greeks, |ews, and Italians who settled in the city
of
Briila. All of them hoped to find a Danubian ,,EI Dorado,,, but many
ended up spending their lives as manual laborers in Briila,s bustring
harbor.

PETROVICI, Nicolae; Brdila sub ocupnlie, 23 Decenfuie 191.6 - 10 Noembre 'L918,

Tipografia RomAneasci, Briila 1939.
STOICA, Maria; Brdila. Memoia orngului.Imaginen unui orag rominesc tlin secolul nl XIXlea, Istros Press - Museum of Briila, Briila, 2009.

General Works:

MUNTEANU, loan; Strndele Bfiilei. Documente pentru oiitor, vol. II, Ex Libris Press,
Brdila,2009.

Online sources:
http://www.romanianiewish.ors/rolmosteniri

ale culturii iudaice 03 11 l2.html

(accessed September 20, 2012).

http://temis.documentation.equipement.gouv.frldocumentsffemis/0048/Temis00487 49 ll 497 8.odf (accessed Seotember 20. 201 2).

http://www.biblacad.ro/bnr/brmautori.php?aut=c&paee=1
800&l imiF20
(accessed September

z SJAN BR, Prefectura judelului Brdila

Collection, file no. 32/1928, t.70.
since the report could not be located, we will only mention that the investigation
led
the Briila safety service to request that an analysis be carried out by their
sulperiors in
constanla and possible sanctions suggested. The guilty party, as estabtished
by ttre
Briila safety service, appears to have been commissary stoenescu. Ibiitem, f . g9-90.
72

1^9,

201,2).

The London Gazette,May 5,1.939,3045, available

online at:

http://www.londongazette.co.uk/issues/34622lsupplements/3045/page.pdf
(accessed May 15, 2012).
http://www.adevarul.rolaetualitatelPovestea primului pasaser oficial oe o cursa a
eriana romaneasca 0 618538413.htm1#
(accessed October

2012).

http://www.movinghere.org.uk (accessed October 07, 2012).

494

495

APPendix

Countv Courthouse Registry'

Certificate issued by the Brdila
t 6' !g33' attesting the citizenshiP and
section II, no. 36'351 oi Notl"*U"
Heinerich
Cot"'l of Czechoslovaki; in Briila'
religious affiliation 9t
the
preserve
to
latter
the
'h"
.o
Braun, and of ti' tut"ir|'Ii'tti*
"""ule

APPENDICES
Table

Data regarding the foreign population of the city of

Briila in the year

Number of residents (1932)

Romanian

47,000 (660/")

2.

Iewish

12,000

J.

Greek

5,000

Bulgarian
Hunqarian
Austrian

1,000

5.
6.

German

Yusoslavian
Turkish
Armenian
Polish

400

400

13.

Czechoslovakian
Russian

14

Italian

c. 1,000

15.

French

c. 1,000

t6.

British

c. 1,0O0

17.

Swiss

c. 1,000

18.

Belgian

c. 1,000

79.

Albanian

c. 1,000

20.

Persian

c. 1,000

9.

10.

l1

t2.

office'
of his privateiy-owned shipping

Briila- Countv Courthouse] attests

The undersigned Clerk [of the
the
tf \1q1{1'ation no' 19' issued bv has
and certifies thut tt"o"!li6;;";
citizenship
21'' 1979' Romanian
aforementioned Court 3n f"i"'u'y
age:45'
as HEINERICH BRAUN '
k;*"
been granted to rur,' Hejrur;;b"
business
profession:
in May of 1g74,
rerieion: iewish, uo^-ir,-nraila
z+' carol Blvd'' io his wife FEIGHE'
;;il";-;'ni'
o*i"r, domiciled i"
to his
n6e GRUNBERG' as well as
also known ", reriv sileuN'
domicile'
Leontin a' ageiT' with the same
children, Marcel, age:12'and

400

400

8.

1932n

;;;tiiP

Nationality

Nr.

1711933' f ' 3'

Agen[ii de uapoare Brdila' flle no'
Source: SJAN BR, Colec[ia

400
400
400

APPendix 2

400

Certificate issued

section II, on Decemi "' it'

Braun's Private comPany'

The undersigned Clerk [of the

residents:
69,2N

Total number of residents:

Briila County Courthouse-] attests

of Privatelv-Owned Companies of
and certifies that the Register
1'913'
an entry, recorded on June 11',
aforementioned Court inc-rudes
"HEINERICH
office
shipping
under no. 1,08, for ;;;;t;;-l{-9.y":9
5t'
Misitiilor
on
gReUN,'based in Brdila'
is issued to serve and be used
In witness thereof' this certificate

22,20O (34"/"1

Total number of foreign

Courthouse Registry'
about Heinerich
information
iSgS'containing

by the Briila Countv

the

for atl legal PurPoses'

Clerk of the Court: N'
z According to Ofciul Stdii Ciz:ile ile pe lhngi Pimdria Brfiita din 1932, in Gh' Mihiilescu'
'1-932' p. 'l'06populnlin nia*; ,t ai, de dentografie di)nmici gi statisticd, in Analele Brdilei,IY ,
and 1,000
400
values are
137. The numbers u." uppriri*"te and the most frequent
residents. Austrian residents were counted

as

Agape

For conformity (ss): P' Adjudeanu

Clty of
The Customs Office of the
,

Source: SIAN

Briila

fi\e no"I711933' f ' 1"

B& Coleclia Agenlii de uapoate Brdila'

either German or Jewish'

497
496

l
Appendix

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Heinerich Braun,s certificate of

military service, issued by the
Briila Recruitment Office on November
e,
1SSS.

GREEKS

Brdila Recruitment Office

In response to the petition registered

under no. Ig92911933, the
Commander of the Bri'a Recruitmeit
office attests and certifies that
Sergeant Haim Braur

acquired during the 191,6/19Ig campaign.

1-916,

ffii#T:. ji;

Arg. 15 - drafted ;nd

assigned to the Financial

Administration divisio' between October
I,19l6and October 6, 1976
October 9_10, 1916 _ November t,
tgt6_ Bilcescu HospitaL
November 21,7916_ assigned to
the Militia Battalion
15, 191.8 _ dismissed and discharged
on this day, no.
,r,,nrf.u,

In witness thereof, this certificate is issued

to serve and be used
for all legal purposes.

lnteruiews (Questionnaire, selectiory and synthesis

Greek Translation

Commander of the Brdila Recruitment

Office
Colonel [illegible]
No.18929
November 6, Lg33

25
33

- Camelia Hristian /

- Marica Saridache)-......
TURKS IN BRAILA

41

andAustriansinBrdila.........

749

Ionel CAndea, ln Search of Brdila's Ancient Tunnels. New Facts.... ' '.
Interoiews (Questionnaire, selection, and synthesis - Camelia Hristian).

159

...

769

Priaately-Ownetl Businesses, Emb1ems...........

GhenaPricop, Contributionsof thelewishCommunitytoBrdila'sCulturalLife..,..
Major fgures of The lewish Comrnunity Of Briila (Selection and synthesis -

213

JEWS

..

...

..

IN BRAILA

Ghena Pricop, The Jewish Community of Brdila 0.830-1940). Public Companies,

Ghena
lnteruiew with

Mr.

Pricop)

ZamfirBdlan,

............
Hechter)

Ghena Pricop
253

Gabriel Stoica)

Mihail Sebastian (losef

235
249

Silo Oberman (Questionnaire and selection

265

Camelia Hristian)

...........

Interuiews (Questionnaire, selection, snd synthesis LIPOVAN RUSSIANS IN BRAILA

Lipoaan Russian Cornmunity. Historical and cultural
Brdila's
Gabriela Cloqc6,

275

contexts............

357

- Camelia Hristian, Selection and synthesis

Evdochia Smaznov and Camelia Hristian)

lnteruiews (Questionnaire

Source: SIAN BR, Coleclia Agen[ii

de uapoare Brdila, file no. 77/1933,
f. 5.

27

Ionel CAndea, Archacological, Archioal, and Anthropological Data Regarding the

Population of the City of Brdita During tlrc Ottoman Occupation (1538 - 1828) ....... 725
Ionel CAndea, Historical Plans of tlrc City of Brdila 0790; 1830)' Russians, Turks,

/ Video

371'

WINNER OF THE'DISCOVER MULTICULTURAL BRAILA"

COMPETTTION
Cristian Constantin, Brdila's Ethnic Comrnunities - A European Alfair (191'9 1.940) ...............

498

IN BRAILA

Haralambie Caravia, AII Roads kad to Brdila

ZamfirBdlan, Panait lstrati
Zamfir Bilary Perpessicius Dumitru Panaitescu

Certificate

aroremention"r,.*{ili":H::*.ilffi:il:;;ff

5
Ionel CAndea, Brdila - A Multicultural City'...."'......'."
9
Brdila.'..,'.,..'..'...'.....
CameliaHristian,... Greeks, lans,LipouanRussians,Turks-

475