The Greeks of Marseille and trans‑Mediterranean Industrial Investments
This article analyses the role of Greek entrepreneurs in the industrialisation of the Mediterranean basin, using the unpublished archives of the Zarifi and Zafiropulo families, two of the most important Greek families in 19th‑century Marseille. While remaining attached to commercial and banking acti...
Bewaard in:
| Gepubliceerd in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/bchmc, |
|---|---|
| Hoofdauteur: | |
| Formaat: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Taal: | Anglais |
| Gepubliceerd in: |
Bulletin de correspondance hellénique moderne et contemporain
2024
|
| Online toegang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Samenvatting: | This article analyses the role of Greek entrepreneurs in the industrialisation of the Mediterranean basin, using the unpublished archives of the Zarifi and Zafiropulo families, two of the most important Greek families in 19th‑century Marseille. While remaining attached to commercial and banking activities, these families also invested in industry in Ukraine, the Ottoman Empire, Spain, Greece and, above all, Marseille, where they financed the growth of several innovative sectors, such as oil and electricity. They also owned industrial holdings in the rest of France, Northern Russia, Great Britain, the United States and South Africa. The entrepreneurial career of the Zarifi and Zafiropulo families therefore helps to enrich our interpretation of the industrialisation process in the Mediterranean basin. Between the image of Mediterranean industrialisation as highly dependent on the investment strategies of industrial groups in North‑West Europe, and that of an industrialisation led by Mediterranean investors but limited to a specific space/time and restricted to everyday consumer goods, the investments of the Zarifi and Zafiropulo families illustrate a third way: that of Mediterranean entrepreneurs involved in industry in several Mediterranean regions and capable of going beyond the Mediterranean area to participate in developing industry – including heavy industry – in the rest of Europe. |
|---|