The town of Galați is known to have emerged from an ancient Dacian settlement in the 4th-5th centuries BC. In the aftermath of the Roman Wars, the area became part of the Roman Empire and a strong Roman fortress was built over the Barboși Dacia settlement. The first attestation of the city of Galați was mentioned in a document signed by Stephen II of Moldavia, during the 15th century, as within the next century Galați became Moldavia’s main harbor.
The 19th century deeply embedded Europe in unrest, therefore the port of Galați became an important site for the construction of large warships. Meanwhile, Galați was also developing based on trade and particularly grain exports. The foreign affairs also gained momentum, as France, England and the United States opened diplomatic headquarters, with Galați soon hosting the offices of more than 20 consulates and vice consulates. In 1856 the Danube European Commission begun its activity in the city.
The 1859 Little Union and the birth of the Romanian modern state was realized under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, former head prefect of Galati and a remarkable personality of the city. Voices in the period even considered establishing the capital of Romania in Galați. Following the events of the 20th centry, Galați begun exploiting the opportunity for industrialization and was rebuilt along communist lines, with a steel plant, beautifully named „The diamond of the Romanian economy”.
