Traces of Foreign Investment on the Island of Thasos: Zinc Production and Export (1903–1911)

This study offers a multidimensional analysis of foreign capital presence and mining activities in the Ottoman Empire through the case of zinc production and export on the island of Thasos between 1903 and 1911. The island’s rich mineral deposits and strategic location attracted the attention of foreign investors. The primary source of this research consists of documents concerning zinc mining and trade in Thasos, preserved in the Ottoman Archives under the Presidential State Archives of the Republic of Turkey, with a notable concentration from 1903 to 1911. Notably, a concession for the operation of zinc mines was granted to Monsieur Speidel by a contract dated 31 August 1903. Accordingly, the study focuses on the years between 1903 and 1911. The zinc production and trade activities are examined within the framework of the concession awarded to Frederick John Speidel, a German national. The study analyzes administrative disputes, the procurement of explosives and mining equipment, environmental regulations, transportation infrastructure, and security policies in detail. Labor needs were met by bringing workers from Greece and Germany, and the extracted zinc ore was shipped to European ports such as Hamburg and Antwerp. This case highlights the economic and political significance of mining activities in the context of provincial governance and foreign investment in the late Ottoman period.