GERMANS IN BATUMI DISTRICT

Abstract

In 1878, according to The Congress of Berlin, Batumi was announced as “Porto Franco”. “Porto Franco” was officially opened on October 29, 1878 and functioned until June 27, 1886. The Porto Franco ragime made life in Batumi unprecedentedly expensive, lands, shops were being sold, buildings were started. In particular, in the documents of living houses, hotels, warehouses and etc. are mentioned Germans too among land buyers. In 1880, German merchants arrived in Batumi, subordinates of The Russian Empire Richter, Neumann and Prechder, they bought plots and built several living houses. It is also clear from the documentary materials that in 1884 was built a bath in the European style by a German Dorner in Batumi. This bath, named as “Sympathy” was a very popular in Batumi. The Dorner’s Bath is mentioned in the calendar compiled on Batumi, in 1886. In the Porto-Franco regime, ships had been coming in the Batumi seaport almost every day from abroad, they were trading with various goods, according to official data of 1884, along with ships from other countries, 24 German ships arrived in Batumi seaport with 10974 tonnes of cargo. Facts of entry of German ships were recorded in other years, as well.
One fact is very interesting, namely, in 1885 the German traveler Gottfried Hermann arrived in Batumi, who stayed in the city for a few weeks and wrote impressions about Batumi. Herman disliked Batumi because of frequent rains and impassible muddy streets. Herman also talks about the building process that was taking place in Batumi. Houses, hotels, shops and etc. were being built in the city. The port was working at full capacity.