Famine and scarcity 1813 to 1825 in the Rovinj area - social, climatic and agricultural aspects

Jelenić, Marko. (2018). Famine and scarcity 1813 to 1825 in the Rovinj area - social, climatic and agricultural aspects. PhD Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of History.
(Poslijediplomski doktorski studij moderne i suvremene hrvatske povijesti u europskom i svjetskom kontekstu) [mentor Bertoša, Slaven and Roksandić, Drago].

Preview

PDF (Croatian) Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

The focus of this dissertation is the period between 1813 and 1825 in the Rovinj area. It is a short period of time in which the establishment of the Habsburg authorities has brought many changes in private and public life. Rich archival material enable reconstruction of everyday life, agrarian, climatic and demographic opportunities. The specifics of that era were the alteration of climatic conditions and the decline in yields. When this situation was repeated in 1815, 1816 and 1817, a period of shortage and starvation occurred. In 1817, mortality was tripled, and consumption of spoiled food led to the spread of typhus epidemics. Chapter Demographic Opportunities looks at demographic trends, especially the increase in mortality due to hunger and typhus epidemics. As the yield of the previous years was very weak, in 1817 the famine appeared, which archival materials often record. In addition to hunger, there are numerous deaths that point to the chronic indigence of the population. Deaths were also caused by the poor quality of food, and typhoid diseases appeared as a significant factor in mortality. Also was given a look at demographic trends in neighbouring areas of Kanfanar, Bale and Rovinjsko Selo, which point similar trends. For the purpose of comparative analysis, demographic trends have been observed at other locations in southwestern Istria. In this case, hunger and typhoid diseases also were the most commonly reported cause of death in 1817. Chapter Climatic and Agricultural aspects of the crisis extensively talks about agricultural trends and climatic conditions in Rovinj. In this period, climate change alterations caused long-lasting droughts and retained cold temperatures even in the summer. Climatic conditions have led to consecutive bad growth, which has led to gradual degradation of agriculture. The situation is precisely the cause of the introduction of new agricultural crops, of which the most important are potatoes. The first signs of the agricultural crisis have been visible since 1813, and its peak was experienced in 1817. The trend of poor husbandry continued until 1825, so the rural component of the population of the city fell into severe economic difficulties. The chapter Social aspects of the crisis speaks about the political and administrative structure that the administration of the Habsburgs brought, and it’s influence on the crisis of 1817. Whether it was an organized group of robberies or poor miserable people who used robbery because of hunger, such individuals had disturbed the peaceful course of life. An important segment of the economy was smuggling. Most commonly people smuggled wine and olive oil, which would be sent to Trieste or Venice in the night with boats. This chapter speaks also of the economic conditions of the Rovinj territory. With an analysis of the economic activities of the city's population, special attention is paid to the economic disadvantages in which a part of the population is stuck. Food prices, which after 1816 were significantly increased, showed a significant increase, which led to population depletion. A large part of the population lived from fishing and selling fish. Most of the streets and buildings were due to the lack of maintenance and financial difficulties of the population in the dormant state, and despite financial restraints, they began their restoration.

Actions (login required)

View Item