Acknowledgements

In: Changing Subjects, Moving Objects
Author:
Constanţa Vintilă
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James Christian Brown
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Acknowledgements

This is a book about foreigners and the intelligence by means of which they survived on the roads of empires. In following them, I too have, in a way, been on the road, moving among the European archives and libraries where their traces are gathered. Such a venture would not have been possible without the financial support of a research grant obtained in 2015. The book thus appears under the auspices of the European Research Council Grant Luxury, Fashion and Social Status in Early Modern South-Eastern Europe (LuxFaSS), ERC-2014-CoG no. 646489, hosted by New Europe College, Bucharest, which provided me with the opportunity to carry out research in various archives and libraries. I would like to thank the staff of the Archives Nationales, Paris; the Archives des Affaires Etrangères, Paris; the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris; the Österreichisches Staatsarchiv, Vienna; the Benaki Museum, Athens; the Gennadius Library, Athens; the Kunstbibliothek of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; and the Romanian National Archives in Bucharest and Iaşi. At the same time, in 2015–2016, I enjoyed a scholarship at the Wissenschaftkolleg zu Berlin, and it was there that I began to sketch out many of the trajectories in this book. I am grateful to all my colleagues in the 2015–2016 cohort there for an unparalleled intellectual and human experience.

Over the years, I have benefitted from the ideas and the valuable feedback, both criticisms and suggestions, of many friends, colleagues, and teachers. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to them for their patience, friendship, and tact. I am enormously indebted to Andrei Pippidi, teacher, friend, and mentor. As on every occasion, he has accompanied me in the adventure of my research, reading, criticizing, and offering suggestions, always a valuable partner in discussion with whom I could validate my ideas. My colleagues and collaborators in the ERC project have made up the best possible research team. Michał Wasiucionek, colleague, collaborator, and friend, has been an enthusiastic reader of this book, guiding me in my investigations, correcting Ottoman spelling, completing the names of unknown diplomats, and gently drawing my attention to interpretations of mine that he could not fully agree with. My dear friend and colleague Mària Pakucs provided the moral and intellectual support without which I could not have succeeded in a somewhat difficult period. Giulia Calvi, through her elegance, intelligence, and friendship, was a pillar of inspiration for the whole team. Nicoleta Roman provided unfailing assistance with all the necessary administrative procedures every time my attempts to gain access to a document or an image came up against bureaucratic impediments. Silvia Marton was always by my side, encouraging me with warmth and sensitivity, and proving an admirable partner in theoretical and conceptual debates.

My warm thanks to my colleagues and friends Lidia Cotovanu, Marian Coman, Ovidiu Cristea and Simeon Câlția, who offered to help me when I needed guidance, transliteration of certain documents, suggestions, information, or feedback. Ina Chirilă, Petronel Zahariuc, Mihai Mîrza, and Sorin Grigoruța willingly helped me by checking my uncertain readings of documents, photographing or seeking in the archives in Iaşi the documents that I needed, and without which I sometimes thought my story could go no further. Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger, Daniel Schönpflug, and Peter Mackridge read parts of the book or offered me advice and information.

I am grateful also to James Christian Brown, without whom I could not have made this book. Our collaboration has gone beyond mere translation, as he has been an attentive and interested reader, always proposing the appropriate words to make clear the meaning of my text, and drawing my attention at times to errors made in haste.

New Europe College has not only been the host institution of the European project, but also my own academic home for a time. Marina Hasnaş, Anca Oroveanu, Alina Hera, Lelia Ciobotariu, and Valentina Sandu-Dediu have been there at my side, with friendship and dedication, both the European project progressed, in excellent conditions, and in the finalization of the manuscript.

The advice and suggestions of the two anonymous readers at Brill who read the book with enthusiasm and attention to detail has helped me enormously in restructuring and improving it. I am grateful also to the series editor, Alex Drace-Francis, with whom I have had countless meetings and discussions regarding the manuscript. His insightful comments and suggestions greatly helped me during the editing processes. I take this opportunity also to express my appreciation of his constant support, offered with generosity and patience, throughout the duration of the European project.

I would also like to thank Diethard Sawicki, who first accepted my book proposal and offered me a contract, and who has been efficient and prompt in handling all matters concerning the book.

I dedicate the book to my daughter, Ilinca, a great lover of stories that carry meaning, who, with humour and sarcasm, teaches me every day not to be ‘a boring mum’.

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Changing Subjects, Moving Objects

Status, Mobility, and Social Transformation in Southeastern Europe, 1700–1850

Series:  Balkan Studies Library, Volume: 31