Original scientific paper
Uniate Đuro Predović's cured meat factory in Gjurgjište near Vrbovec in the first half of the 20th century
Mira Kolar-Dimitrijević
orcid.org/0000-0002-6050-5700
; Department of History, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagrebof Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Despite the fact that Uniates had been living in small groups in different parts of Croatia, Križevci – home of the stunning Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Trinity – became the seat of their diocese in 1773. Since considerable resources were needed to support the diocese, Bishop Julije Drohobeczky envisaged stock-farming as the agricultural branch best suited for Uniates at the turn of the 19th century and supported the breeding and selling of stock. Since political conditions at the time resulted in uneven development, Đuro Predović built a meat curing factory as late as 1929 in Gjurgjišće and later established the production of serum for the vaccination of pigs. The majority of the produced meat was exported to Germany. He also established Vetserum in Zemun, a big chemical production plant. Despite frequents clashes with the workers, the plant functioned successfully until 1943 when it was ransacked and devastated by partisans. The industrial complex was used as a crop storage unit until the end of the war, when the company was nationalized and Đuro Predović fled to Argentina. The factory being built on the main railway line Rijeka – Zagreb – Central Europe points to the fact that Uniates took up stock-farming, which was the most successful agricultural branches in terms of export.
Keywords
Križevci; Vrbovec; Gjurgjište (Đurđišće); Uniates; Bishop Julije Drohobeczky; Đuro Predović; stock-farming; meat industry; serum production; organization “Gospodarska sloboda”
Hrčak ID:
150039
URI
Publication date:
28.12.2015.
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