Postai és Távközlési Múzeumi Alapítvány Évkönyve, 1997

Rövid tartalmi összefoglaló angol nyelven

make all its ships available immediately to the navy (for an appropriate fee) in the event of war or an emergency, even at the expense of the contracted voyages.

The Hungarian government undertook in return not to give subsidies on the named routes to any other shipping company. If it planned to make any other western services regular, it would approach Adria first, and give it preference over other lines, other conditions being equal.

The chairman of the company, the vice-chairmen, two-thirds of the board, and as far as possible, all the employees were to be Hungarian citizens. The trade minister was entitled to nominate two board members and the finance minister one. The language of business was to be Hungarian. The offices were in Budapest, with a commercial directorate in Fiume.

During the term of the contract, the company was under the supervision of the trade minister, whose rights of supervision were exercised by a government commissioner and the naval authority.

The Adria line soon proved its viability in the new period, with increasing traffic and a growing reputation. The nominal capital was increased in 1901 from 5 million korona to 10 million, and eight new steamships were built, bringing the fleet to 33.

Dr Miklós Kamody: News and correspondence in the Türkish period

The changes in world history that ushered in the modern period had a favourable effect on information flows. The discovery of America in 1492, the circumnavigation of Africa in 1484, the sea routes to the East and West Indies, and the treasures and riches flooding in from the New World caused ferment throughout Europe, giving a huge boost to commerce and industry.

Coinciding with this came the revival of interest in Classical science and the literary and artistic achievements of Humanism and the Renaissance. The changes culminated in the Reformation, which aroused passions all over Europe, leading to new schools of thought and helping to establish national bodies of literature.

The 15th century also brought the fall of Constantinople, seat of the Eastern Roman Empire, in 1453 and the subsequent appearance in Europe of the Ottoman Turks as a world power. The Ottomans took advantage of the political divisions among the countries ofWest- em Europe to make successive conquests. Christendom groups itself into spheres of interest, while the Ottoman conquerors strove to win their battle by developing their arms.

The intellectual movements and political events of the 15th and 16th centuries made it important to all states to improve their domestic communications.

In Western Europe, the Thum-Taxis postal service established itself all over the Holy Roman Empire from 1490 onwards. The French and Spanish courts followed suit in the 1500s, giving postal services a government complexion.

Postal communications operated along specified routes using relay stations, according to a specified timetable. Increasingly, the services became subject to a scale of fixed charges.

In the Ottoman Empire, communications developed in a fashion that reflected the nature of the state. The sultan had full authority over the country as his private property. All land ownership derived from him, and he could donate the use of land in return for services. His absolute rule was enhanced by a fanatical religious organization.

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