The Creation of a New Bourgeoisie in Trieste

The establishment of the free port of Trieste in the 18th century required the Habsburg Monarchy to issue a number of specific provisions intended to provide to the merchants who would settle in this new trading centre reassurance on their personal safety, the freedom to practice their worship, and a regulatory framework from the State to promote trade. The call was answered by members of the ethnic and religious communities that had traditionally engaged in trade in the Mediterranean and European context, who had often suffered discrimination and persecution. Since the earliest provisions issued by Charles VI, followed by those enforced by Maria Theresa and then Joseph II and Leopold II, the granting of relevant civil rights for those who would settle in the free port was a watershed and a break from the past. In particular, the freedom to practice one’s worship proved essential in the consolidation of the free market and the free circulation of goods and people. Thus Trieste and its port under the Habsburg rule became a hub for trade, capital, experienced businessmen and expert who were familiar with the international market. Networks of external, institutional, economic, and cultural relations were put in place to encourage the integration of markets that were different in their origin and background into a business community and to support the creation of a new middle-class in Trieste. This paper provides an overview of this general process of social change with special emphasis on the prominent role played by a few leading Jewish merchants and traders