Asimina Stathopoulou

Archivist, Reading Room and Archival Research Department

General State Archives of Greece – Central Service

The tobacco factory “Dimitrino” (“Dimitrino”) was founded in 1886 by Dimitrios K. Dimitriou or Dimitrino, the son of an expatriate from Trieste, and Ioannis Manuelidis, both Greek nationals, in Egypt. In 1900 (January 5) Dimitrios K. Dimitriou retired from the business and from 1905 the only owner remained Ioannis Manuilidis (or Emmanoulidis) who kept the title of the company “Dimitrino & Co”

Letterhead of the Dimitrino & Co tobacco industry , G.S.A. central office, Archive of Dimitrino & Co tobacco industry (K349)

Most likely, the Greek founders of the tobacco industry were there because of the tobacco monopoly that was imposed throughout the Ottoman Empire by an imperial firman (decree) issued on May 28, 1883. The decree stipulated that the Ottoman state company, albeit  the  French name “Société de la régie co-intéréssée des tabacs de l’empire Ottoman”, could exclusively and under a monopoly regime sell tobacco seeds, buy tobacco and make it available for sale, both inside and outside its Ottoman territory. This fact led many Greek tobacconists to seek their fortune outside the borders, with many of them fleeing to Egypt.

The “Egyptian” cigarettes, albeit made of tobacco from the regions of Thrace and Macedonia, as the cultivation of tobacco was prohibited in Egypt, quickly gained ground, bringing Greek tobacco manufacturers, among them Dimitrino,  to reach 90% of Egypt’s cigarette exports control  at the beginning of the 20th century, while many of them had almost monopolies in some countries.

Details of cigarette production of the factory 1905-1923 G.S.A. central office, Dimitrino & Co tobacco industry archive (K349)

The spread of the distribution network is truly impressive. Greek and foreign representatives correspond with the company’s offices in Cairo, either to regulate the details of the agreements of its representation in various countries (rates of commissions, etc.), or to declare their willingness to cooperate with it. Indicatively, the presence of the tobacco industry between 1900-1930 is observable in countries and cities such as America, Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, Japan, India, Ceylon, Germany, Switzerland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Tel-Aviv and Haifa, revealing the multinational nature of the tobacco trade

Cigarette order forms from various countries-distribution agencies, G.S.A. central office, Dimitrino & Co tobacco industry archive (K349)

However, throughout this multi-year course, there is no shortage of obstacles and difficulties. In March 1925 the Mixed Court of Appeal of Alexandria ruled in favor of Dimitrino & Co and against the first instance decision of the Commercial Court of Cairo (1923) exonarated The Egyptian Hotels Ltd. in their appeal for the use of the name “Shepheard’s Hotel” or “Shepheard’s Hotel Sprecial” on one of the tobacco industry’s cigarettes

Decision of the Mixed Court of Appeal of Alexandria G.S.A. central office, Dimitrino & Co tobacco industry archive (K349)

In 1921 the Weinthal cigarette manufacturer based in Rotterdam sent Dimitrino a letter of protest, stating that they could not get rid of cigarette stock, since there were shops selling the cigarettes at “ridiculous” prices.

Letter of protest of the Weinthal cigarette factory G.S.A. central office, Dimitrino & Co tobacco factory file (K349)

In 1918, after the death of Manuelides, the business was inherited by his two sons, Emmanuel and Nikolaos Manuelides. In 1947 the current managing director of the company, George Mavrokefalos became the third partner of the company. In 1959 the company left Egypt and moved to Bonn, while from 1970 its cigarettes were also produced in America by the tobacco manufacturer Georgakopoulos. Today “Dimitrino & Co” cigarettes are manufactured in America and Germany by the German tobacco company Von Eicken Group, which has bought the rights of the company.