Horváth Attila – Bánkuti Imre – H. Tóth Elvira szerk.: Cumania 3. Historia (Bács-Kiskun Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei, Kecskemét, 1975)

Petri E.: A kecskeméti görög kereskedők története a XVIII. században

with domestic goods in retail as well as wholesale. Later the Hapsburg Empire narrowed down the advantages so that Turkish subjects were permitted to trade only with Turkish goods and only wholesale. The Greek merchants's activity — in lack of other merchants — was relatively advantageous for the local authorities. The Hapsburg customs policy aimed at turning Hungary into an absorbing market for goods made in Austria. Therefore trading of the Turkish subjects was more and more tightened up. According to the final settlement in 1774 a Turkish subject could trade only if he gave oath of allegiance and took his family to Hungary. The main aim of this regulation was to prevent the exportation of profits made in trading. The country-wide famous markets of Kecskemét kept being attractive during the Turkish occupation of Hungary as well. Immigration of the Greeks started around 1690, after the Turkish occupation. During the whole 18th century whenever it was a question of merchants being Turkish subjects, Kecskemet was always mentioned as one of the eminent Greek trade centre. As early as 1698 there were shops opened in the town. In 1708 the twenty-six Greek merchants living in the town founded a company to assist each other. In 1710 negotiations were initiated between the Greek company and the municipal council. It stood to the interest of the municipal council to prefer the occasionally coming merchants to those living in the town because the former merchants sold their goods much cheaper. In spite of the municipal council's resistance István Koháry, landlord of the town urged to conclude a contract with the Greeks because it meant significant financial benefit for him. According to the contract made in 1721 the members of the company living in the town paid 350 Forints a year for their stay in the town. In their inner matters decisions were made by their elected magistrate who took an oath at the manorial court, in addition he enforced the interest of the company against other Greek companies and the authorities. The merchants' associations had an inner and an outer aim. Members of the company undertook financial and moral responsibility for each other. As far as the activity in connection with other companies was concerned, the company as a corporation warrented the economic credit of its members and undertook to respect the neglected commitments of its merchantmembers confronting the authorities. In this way they gave help to the debtor and guarantee to the creditor (or to the authorities). On the request of the magistrate of the crediting company and with the consent of the municipal council a merchant attending the town market in debt to another company was arrested. Tax collection and distribution was also considered as an inner matter of the company. In cases when shops were closed down by the order of the authorities, the company undertook to guard the sealed goods saving hereby the perishable goods and, on the other hand, the town authorities the costs of employing guards. The company succesfully fought against the competing Greek merchants who wanted to trade in the town without their consent. The joint trading of the company cannot be proved. The members traded entering into associated relationship (consociétas). In fact, the shops of the trading firms having two or three associates were supplied by several non-associated members. During the previously fixed period of the collective trading they rendered accounts of their business, they divided the profit made in that period, afterwards they might have started another associated partnership on contract basis with others. This is why there were members belonging to the Kecskemét Greek trading companies even at the furthest points of the country. The joint shops — beside easing supply and selling — promoted proliferation of the Greek trading firms as well, because the business partners had only to get separated from each other in order to create two or more new shops. In addition, the family had the right to continue the business after the death of the propriator. In several cases the wives inherited the established business relations of the deceased husband together with his property. One partner was generally on a purchasing tour abroad, to provide the goods. The Greeks at Kecskemét had a stock of goods also in Pest, from where they took their goods to the local and the Kecskemét markets. In spite of the protests of the trading guild, 74