Exploiting International Webs of Relations: Immigrants and the Reopening of the Harbour of Antwerp on the Eve of the Nineteenth Century
This chapter explores the question of which groups took advantage of and exercised dominance over the port of Antwerp when it reopened in the Nineteenth century. It discusses the development of maritime trade during the first half of the Nineteenth century and its appeal as a port town; the trading activities of the business elite - analysed through documents relating to port traffic; and the hierarchy of foreign trade networks operating around the port. Particular interest is given to the dominance of immigrant over native merchants in the fields of maritime trade and port activity. The conclusion suggests that the spatial extent of immigrant trade networks in particular enabled their success in international maritime trade. In response, native merchants strengthened links with national and regional trade, and the two groups managed to co-exist by concentrating on separate spheres of economic interest.