From 25 to 29 May 2026, at the University of Zadar, our Senior Assistant Maja Perić participated in the international conference 7th International Conference of the Mediterranean Maritime History Network. The scientific conference was attended by distinguished scientists from various institutions in Greece, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Turkey, the USA, Brazil, Serbia, Ukraine, Germany, Switzerland and Croatia.
Maja’s presentation, entitled How Vienna Connected the Ports of Antwerp and Rijeka. The Story of the Sugar Factory and the Privileged Company of Trieste and Fiume from 1750-1775, was delivered on Tuesday, 26 May as part of the panel ‘SESSION III – Ports, Connections and Coastal Shipping in the Mediterranean’. In her presentation, our colleague introduced the audience to the connection between the North Sea and the Eastern Adriatic through the activities and daily life of the sugar refinery in Rijeka as part of the Privileged Company of Trieste and Rijeka. Through examples found in the correspondence, she sought to show how the skills and experience of entrepreneurs and merchants from Antwerp contributed to the further development of the Rijeka sugar refinery and port within the Habsburg Monarchy.
The discussion that followed the presentation was very interesting and stimulating for further research. Furthermore, she briefly introduced all the scholars present to our project and directed them to our website.
The photographs, presentation, and programme can be found below.
We find it appropriate […] to promote the establishment of a Trading Company, which, by uniting its strength, knowledge, and care, will strive […] to develop the various branches of a necessary and profitable commerce.
