The Familiarity of Strangers

The Familiarity of Strangers is a work by Francesca Trivellato that is attributed to micro-history . Trivellato herself assigns her work primarily to economic history . It was published in 2009 under the full title The Familiarity of Strangers: The Sephardic Diaspora, Livorno, and Cross-cultural Trade in the Early Modern Period . An Italian version was published in 2016 under the title Il commercio interculturale. La diaspora sefardita, Livorno ei traffici globali in età moderna .

Content overview

On the subject of intercultural trade, this book examines the specific example of the trade of Sephardic Jews in the Tuscan port city of Livorno in the 17th and 18th centuries . The work is characterized by the combination of economic analyzes, extensive archival research and historical perspectives and provides a multi-layered overview of trade relations between Jews and non-Jews from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean and the European Atlantic coast. Trivellato examines different approaches to trade within and among different ethnic and religious groups and researches networks based on trust and the exchange of information and goods.

It shows a coexistence of intercultural trade, which not only promotes familiarity of strangers ("Familiarity of Strangers"), but also presupposes, and apparently contradicting prejudices with religious connotations. Various individual case analyzes of the fundamentals of trade relations prove the prevalence of linguistic, normative and social overlaps and not the reliance on emerging state and legal institutions.

Cognitive interest

The view that intercultural trade usually goes hand in hand with tolerance is widespread in Western culture. There are also empirical tendencies that cities with strong trade, such as port cities, are more open and tolerant. But historically it has been recorded that trade also coexisted with war and segregation of traders. Trade between different cultures requires a basic understanding of the other culture. At least a common communication and legal norms to settle potential disputes must be found. Full acceptance of the other culture is not necessary, nor is it the norm, only basic trust is required.

Trivellato describes itself as fascinated by market relationships in different times and places. She is also drawn to the early modern era, as it was a time of great social change: European civilizations gradually opened up and religious discrimination gradually decreased. At the same time, society continued to be strongly hierarchically structured, segregated, and prejudices shaped the public image of minorities. These conflicting orientations of society create an interesting backdrop for the plot of the book.

In this book, the author has focused her geographic focus on Livorno. She gives several reasons for this: Firstly, trade research focuses on the Atlantic and, in part, the Indian Ocean. However, the Mediterranean region plays an important role, but it is too much ignored in their view. In this early modern Mediterranean region, Livorno is a hub with a diverse selection of foreign and religious minorities engaged in trade - a prime example here are the Sephardic Jews who had to flee Spain . The largest Sephardic community in Europe at the time was Amsterdam - but this community has been well researched. Livorno was not examined in a comparable way. This is because archives burned down and important documents disappeared in the wars, especially in the bombings of World War II . In her research on this topic, Francesca Trivellato found 13,760 business letters and used this new source as the basis of her work.

And so Trivellato is looking for explanations of its main question under these premises: How does trade, especially intercultural trade, take place in this scenario?

According to this, some historians believe that a modern state is needed to resolve any conflicts. But in this work Trivellato puts this hypothesis and also the conception mentioned at the beginning to the test.

Synopsis

This work focuses on the two interwoven families Ergas and Silvera, both large Jewish-Sephardic families living in Livorno, Tuscany on the Italian coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea .

Francesca Trivellato begins her book with a detailed family tree of the two families and examines the history of Livorno as a transhipment center and one of the most important ports in Europe at the time. It also covers the past of the Sephardim and their paths to Livorno. The Sephardic traders were known for their contacts to various cultures: to brokers in Goa , India or Christian agents of Italian descent in Lisbon and so they specialized in the trade in diamonds and corals , among other things . To do this, family members had to be represented in almost all trade hubs, such as Amsterdam or London . Since the rights of the Jews in parts of Europe were in a phase of cautious liberalization , Ergas and Silvera were able to settle there too. Each city had varying degrees of freedom for the Jewish population. As a result, their private and business life was also affected. Livorno, according to Trivellato, undertook a 'social experiment' as a city with the rational principles of the Renaissance and was comparatively open to strangers. So Livorno issued specific concessions for Jews who could settle down and go about their business. The author is able to convey a detailed picture of life and culture in such families.

The term "communitarian cosmopolitism" is introduced to denote a type of social structure in early modern cities like Livorno; A structure of a multicultural city, but with institutionalized segregation . Ergas and Silvera adopted many aspects of the aristocratic culture of the time, at the same time their social status was still defined by their religious affiliation and marriage was only possible within selected circles. But rigid social guidelines were also used within Jewish circles. In these Sephardic circles, there was social pressure from outside, through mechanisms embedded in the state apparatus that promoted segregation, and from within, through strict rules of behavior imposed either directly by religion or by social pressure from fellow believers.

It then analyzes trade in the Mediterranean region and traces Livorno and its rise to become the most important port in the Mediterranean . The city's liberal attitudes, including the rights it granted its Jewish residents, played a decisive role in this. This is another reason why the Tuscan port became a focal point between Europe and the Ottoman Empire . When the French government expanded its influence, especially in relation to the Ottoman Empire, the Livornese Sephardim strengthened their contacts with France and, for example, obtained French protection in other strategically important places such as Aleppo .

Trivellato is now moving away from the macro level and delving into Sephardic family life. Among other things, strategic considerations in marriage, dowry and inheritance policy and the family as a central business model are explained .

The main source of this work is then dealt with: the 13,760 business letters. These had the following functions:

• Letters of recommendation and introductory letters to expand the network
• Keeping a secret
• Certification of contracts and ownership
• Discussions about market conditions

The book analyzes the letters according to language, content, delivery location, but also key words that keep cropping up. Very interesting conclusions can be drawn about the connections between Ergas and Silvera. An illustration: In Amsterdam or London the Sephardim relied on fellow believers, in Genoa, however, on Christian traders. This leads to the conclusion that Christian traders were preferred when they were better positioned in the market than local Sephardim.

Based on the trade of Ergas and Silvera with Indian diamonds and Mediterranean corals, Trivellato dissects the trade relationships, strategies and networks, the organization of the family empire and provides a precisely understandable analysis of the economic, societal, family and social circumstances in which trade was carried out. She compares the Sephardim with other ethnic groups and their trade and also looks into the changing circumstances of the family business itself. Diamond trade was a risky business and was based in large part on trust. So explicit, but also implicit agreements between dealers, as discussed in the letters, were essential. The extensive letters underline and support the thought processes of the author and give an insight into the intricacies of the trade at that time. The destinations of the letters are dealt with in detail again and connections between Livorno and all of Europe, the Mediterranean region and Goa are shown.

In the last chapter, the book deals with the bankruptcy of the trading empire Ergas and Silvera and how private individuals were able to evade private bankruptcy ; Among other things, due to the limited effectiveness of courts when contracts between traders were incomplete. Interestingly, this decline was not caused by a Hindu trader, although most of the family had never met, entrusting much of their business to these Indian traders. The cause of the business insolvency of the large Sephardic family was an untrustworthy Persian Jew.

reception

Scientific recording

According to Gayle K. Brunelle, Trivellato has succeeded in a thought-provoking study that, unlike previous studies on the same or related topics, goes deeper and reveals more fundamental relationships. Not only are trade relationships between members of the same ethnic group or religion analyzed (i.e. intra-cultural), but also intercultural trade is in the focus. In the latter case, this is how strangers act with little in common apart from mutual economic profit. Brunelle assesses the study and its findings as "fascinating."

According to Yadira González de Lara, this study stands out from other related studies in that the author goes much deeper and includes complex relationships and connections, such as the consideration of different locations, with Livorno still in the foreground. With its extensive and informative book, Trivellato is able to question historical concepts and initiate new lines of thought. González de Lara's only point of criticism is that the Maghrebian traders were mistakenly assigned to the wrong system and that intra- and inter-community relationships are therefore unclearly portrayed.

Miriam Bodian, who is quoted in Familiarity of Strangers , has similar praise . As a history professor and specialist book and article author, she also praises the detailed tracing of trade routes and relationships, family structures, contract negotiations and many other aspects. Interestingly, she does not describe the work as microhistorical, also because the plot extends well over different time periods and locations. Nevertheless, the book minutely dissects all relevant factors in a micro-historical manner. According to Bodian, this was only possible through extensive research and thorough reading of the secondary literature.

John E. Wills Jr. also highlights the extensive research done by the author of the book. In this way she is able to "convey a fascinating picture of the [Jewish] community." This scientific peer review also praises the merging of macro- and micro-historical analysis and the competent factual processing for telling a story of the trade of the Sephardic Jews on the Italian Mediterranean coast.

"Trivellato's stunningly well-researched and theoretically sophisticated study of Sephardic merchants in the free-port of Livorno reveals how they made deals not just with other Jews but all varieties of Christians across Europe and even Hindus in India. How was it possible to bridge these formidable religious and ethnic barriers? She offers 'communitarian cosmopolitanism' as a new and promising model for understanding cross-cultural economic ties. This book will be a benchmark for future work in the social history of early modern business. " - Edward Muir, author of The Culture Wars of the Late Renaissance: Skeptics, Libertines, and Opera

Sarah Abrevaya Stein honors Trivellato's achievement in penetrating a rather unexplored area and her impressive way of illuminating this hitherto unclear topic with clear research. Stein wrote towards the end of her review: "The Familiarity of Strangers is among the rare books so erudite and elegant that even its 'Notes on Terminology and Units of Measure' fascinates and edifies. […] Trivellato reveals herself to be a careful and expansive thinker. " Stein believes that one reason for the new approach to this research area is to be found in Trivellato's scientific career. She locates the author as an expert in the economic and social history of Italy and not in Jewish history: "This fact, I suspect, allows her to look with a fresh eye at suppositions that scholars of Jewish studies might be more inclined to accept as fact [...] "

Edgar Samuel's review does not include a major classification of the criticized work. At the end he calls it: "[...] a most important and original description of the economic and social history of this major Jewish community."

Laurie Nussdorfer's criticism, which Trivellato attests to a close-knit analysis of the model of an early modern coexistence, also falls in the same direction : "Readers [...] will find her analysis of cross-cultural relations a particularly valuable revision of the now much questioned convivenza model." Nussdorfer finally summarizes the study as "a richly analytical and comparative study with broad implications for understanding the Mediterranean and the world economy in the early modern period."

In summary, it can be said that Francesca Trivellato's work is a successful analysis of a hitherto relatively unknown field of research. Reviews are consistently positive, especially the precise processing of the backgrounds and sources, specifically the many business letters, are highly valued by Trivellato. Individual negative points of criticism only relate to formalities and individual ambiguities.

Prices

• Long listed for the 2010 Cundill History Prize at McGill University in Montreal .
• Co-recipient of the Jordan Schnitzer Book Prize 2010 in the category "Early Modern and Modern Jewish History published in English between 2006 and 2010", awarded by the Association of Jewish Studies.
• Recipient of the Leo Gershoy Prize 2010 in the category "most outstanding work published in English on any aspect of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European history", awarded by the American Historical Association .

expenditure

• English original edition: Francesca Trivellato: The familiarity of strangers: the Sephardic diaspora, Livorno, and cross-cultural trade in the early modern period. Yale University Press, New Haven 2009, ISBN 978-0-300-13683-8 .
• Italian translation: Francesca Trivellato: Il commercio interculturale. La diaspora sefardita, Livorno ei traffici globali in età moderna. Viella SRL, Roma 2016, ISBN 9788867285686 .

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Gayle K. Brunelle: Review of The Familiarity of Strangers: the Sephardic Diaspora, Livorno, and Cross-Cultural Trade in the Early Modern Period by Francesca Trivellato . In: The MIT Press (Ed.): The Journal of Interdisciplinary History . tape 41 , no. 3 (winter 2011), p. 458-459 .
2. ↑ Interview: Prof. Francesca Trivellato on "The Familiarity of Strangers". Retrieved on August 24, 2019 . 
3. ^ Yadira González de Lara: Review of The Familiarity of Strangers: the Sephardic Diaspora, Livorno, and Cross-Cultural Trade in the Early Modern Period by Francesca Trivellato . In: The Economic History Society (Ed.): The Economic History Review New Series . tape 63 , no. 2 (May 2010), pp. 553-554 .
4. ^ Miriam Bodian: Review of The Familiarity of Strangers: the Sephardic Diaspora, Livorno, and Cross-Cultural Trade in the Early Modern Period by Francesca Trivellato . In: The President and Fellows of Harvard College (Ed.): The Business History Review . tape 85 , no. 2 (summer 2011), p. 391-393 .
5. ^ John E. Wills, Jr .: Review of The Familiarity of Strangers: the Sephardic Diaspora, Livorno, and Cross-Cultural Trade in the Early Modern Period by Francesca Trivellato . In: University of Hawai'i Press (Ed.): Journal of World History . tape 22 , no. 2 (June 2011), pp. 377-380 .
6. ^ ^{A b} Familiarity of Strangers. In: Yale University Press. Retrieved July 18, 2019 . 
7. ↑ Sarah Abrevaya Stein: Review of The Familiarity of Strangers: The Sephardic Diaspora, Livorno, and Cross-Cultural Trade in the Early Modern Period by Francesca Trivellato . In: Association for Jewish Studies (Ed.): AJS Review . tape 34 , no. 1 (April 2010). Cambridge University Press, pp. 140-142 .
8. ^ Edgar Samuel: Review of The Familiarity of Strangers: The Sephardic Diaspora, Livorno and Cross-cultural Trade in the Early Modern Period by Francesca Trivellato . In: Jewish Historical Society of England (ed.): Jewish Historical Studies . tape 43 , 2011, p. 230-232 .
9. ^ Laurie Nussdorfer: Review of The Familiarity of Strangers: The Sephardic Diaspora, Livorno, and Cross-Cultural Trade in the Early Modern Period by Francesca Trivellato . In: Sixteenth Century Journal (Ed.): The Sixteenth Century Journal . tape 41 , no. 4 (winter 2010), p. 1305-1306 .