1. Introduction

In the Danubian Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, suzerain to the Ottoman Empire, a significant amount of books was published from the late 17th century until 1821. These books, usually ecclesiastical and educational, were printed in presses operating under the control either of the clergy (metropolitans, bishops, abbots) or the sovereign princes themselves. Consequently, these printing houses were not commercial establishments such as the well-known Greek publishing houses in Venice, which had to align their policy in regard to the market’s needs, but were contrary connected to the Greek-Orthodox political and clerical elites and to their ambitions.¹

The Greek presses operating after 1830 in the urban centres of both Wallachia and Moldavia, especially in the Danubian ports (Brăila, Galaţi) were businesses owned by Greek emigrants, often Greek subjects as well.² These printing houses published not only books in Greek, but also in Romanian as well, often in French, Yiddish, and in Italian, thus satisfying the needs of the people inhabiting these multi-ethnic and multi-lingual port cities within the Principalities.

2. Greek publishing during the second half of the 19th century

Since 1830, Greek books within the Danubian Principalities were published mainly in Bucharest and Iaşi (Jassy),³ while until 1860 the Greek books printed in Brăila and Galaţi were very few, since the publishing activity in these cities was limited.⁴ After the unification of Wallachia and Moldavia in 1859, the number of presses greatly increased and, naturally, so did the publication of Greek and Romanian books.

From 1864 to 1900, at least 96 Greek books were printed in Brăila, 55 in Galaţi and 59 in Bucharest.⁵ It is clear that during the second half of the 19th century, the centre for Greek publications in Romania had shifted from the capital to the port-cities, which furthermore were populated by a larger number of Greeks. A lot less Greek books were printed in Dobrudja, and only after the region was annexed to Romania in 1878; specifically, there were 3 published in Constanţa and 2 in Tulcea.⁶

2.1. Greek printing houses in Danubian centres

Greek books were published by printing houses owned by Greeks, as well as Romanians, but also Jews, Frenchmen, Italians or other foreigners located in Romania. Characteristically, about half of them were printed by the publishing houses of Fr. Thiel, I. Nebunelli and other foreigners. The only significant press owned by a Greek was the one of Frangiskos Momferratos that operated between 1845 and 1871 and during the 1860s published at least 10 Greek books. Earlier (1848-1849), Momferratos had established a printing house in neighbouring Brăila.⁷

In Brăila, Greek books were published by the presses of the clergyman Anastasie R. Brăileanu, of the Bulgarian H.D. Panicikov, of Theodorvici & Constantinescu.⁸ The “Typo-lithography of P.M. Pestemaltzioglou” constituted a special case for its success and constant presence in Greek publications. Pestemaltzioglou, born in 1831 in Bursa in Asia Minor, had been in the publishing business since 1858 as both a newspaper editor and a printer.⁹ In 1870 he founded “Trigonon” (triangle), his first printing house that within its first two years of operation published over 20 books, most of them being in the Greek language.¹⁰ In 1873 he established the “Typo-lithography of P.M. Pestemaltzioglou” that was the largest printing business in town, awarded medals and honours in international exhibitions, until it closed down in 1915. In total, it printed more than 150 books, most of them in Romanian (108) and many in Greek (around 30). Some of the Greek books, such as the Palingenesia tis Ellados ("Renegeration of Greece"), a book referring to the 1821 Greek War of Independence with copper engravings, were quite luxurious.¹¹ In 1881, he also founded a branch office in Constanţa that became one of the first publishing houses in the city.¹²

2.2. Book classification

The Greek books published in the Danubian printing centres were of many different sorts. A large part consisted of statutes and regulations of various Greek educational establishments, usually the grand private schools in Brăila and Galaţi, such as the Venieris school. In contrast, school books were far less, since the need for them was covered by books published in Athens or Constantinople.¹³ A few editions were communal charters and texts of committees' reports, but also obituaries. There were also literary works, usually poems or even theatrical plays of a patriotic disposition. Let it be noted here that I stratiotiki zoi en Elladi ("Military life in Greece"), one of the most significant texts of 19th century Greek literature, was published in Brăila in 1870.¹⁴

3. Greek publishing during the first half of the 20th century

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Greek publishing decreased.¹⁵ No Greek books appear to have been printed in Tulcea, while in Galaţi as well the number of books must have radically diminished. Even in Brăila, the most significant publishing centre for Greek books in Romania, production was limited.¹⁶ The only Greek publishing house founded, “Ethnos” (Nation), under the direction of L. Kostomyris, was restricted to publishing the newspaper of the same name, while during the first Post-war years it relocated in Bucharest.¹⁷

During the Inter-war period, no press of Greek ownership operated in Brăila, while the publications were scarce in general. The most notable printing houses were Jewish.¹⁸ New centres for the business of Greek books were Bucharest, where almost all of the Greek newspapers were published, and Constanţa. In the latter, especially active was the printing house-bookstore of Ch. Vourlis “Ovidius”.¹⁹

4. Greek Press

The Greek newspapers published in Brăila, Galaţi and Constanţa during the second half of the 19th century comprise a notable portion of the Greek diaspora press flourishing during that time, mainly in Trieste, Egypt and Bulgaria.²⁰

There were at least 3 Greek newspapers in total published in Galaţi and over 15 in Brăila. These newspapers were mainly political, usually weekly or issued in a non-regular fashion. Much emphasis was given on political developments in Greece, while the activities of communal committees were often commented upon. Disputes with Romanian and/or Bulgarian newspapers were frequent.²¹

The first Greek newspaper published was Ermis ("Hermes"), printed in Brăila, for which we know of only two editions (September 2nd and 6th, 1848). It was a bilingual publication focusing on the collaboration between Greeks and Romanians during the 1848 Revolution.²² More significant was the presence of the newspapers published during the last three centuries of the 19th century, namely Syllogoi ("Associations"), Ermis (1873-1876) and Eleftheros Logos ("Free Speech", 1895-1901). In Constanţa, periodicals (Thaleia, 1923-1924) and journals were printed.²³

A few newspapers were styled as journals, such as Apothiki ton Ofelimon Gnoseon ("Storehouse for Useful Knowledge"), published in Brăila between 1864 and 1865, while some satirical editions were also present, since their kind was flourishing in Greece during that time. The most important satirical newspaper was probably I Maimou ("The Monkey"), also printed in Brăila. The most notable Greek journalist in Romania was Dionysios Metaxas-Laskaratos from Brăila, publisher of Eleftheros Logos.²⁴