Original scientific paper
Bunjevci Krivopućani from Primorje in the area of Virovitica (Case study of inner migration
Marijeta Rajković
Jasmina Jurković
Abstract
The article presents a case study of inner migration concentrated on the relocation of a larger group of people from a rural area on the coastal slopes of Velebit beneath Velika Kapela (Krivi Put), to another rural area in a different region of the Republic of Croatia, the countryside of Virovitica to be more precise. One presents migrations of the twenties and the thirties of the 20th century, when they were occurring on a larger scale, and when migrations were becoming permanent. After years of transient departures for the area of Virovitica, Krivopućani gradually started to remain living there, and they formed a settlement Rezovačke Krčevine, but also started to buy properties in the village Podgorje.
The study is based on empirical research, and the material was collected over a period of a few years in the area of Krivi Put (2003-2006) as well as in the area of Virovitica (2005-2006). The data regarding migrations from the period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was collected in interviews, that is, through life stories of the migrants, their descendants and habitants of Krivi Put who had not migrated. A part of the research was conducted in the Register Office in Virovitica where the authors went through a few birth and baptism registers, and in the local office of Suhopolje where they inspected the birth indexes, as well as the book of married couples – Vjenčanik, and Zavičajnik mjesta Rezovac. The authors have also used online databases.
The paper gives answers to the following questions: why do people migrate, who moves and what happens after they have moved? One has recorded memories of the first years of life. The paper presents relations between the migratory and domiciliar population, with an emphasis on cultural processes and boundaries between groups. One has also recorded remigrations of the second and third generations of migrants who started to renovate their old family houses, and build new vacation houses in the area of Krivi Put, as well as in nearer attractive tourist destinations. One has also recorded attempts to preserve awareness of the Bunjevac identity. In spite of processes of acculturation and assimilation of a great number of migrants’ descendants, there is great awareness of their origin in Krivi Put, that is, their affiliation to a branch of Bunjevci (coastal Bunjevci) and to the Bunjevci ethnic group in general.
Keywords
coastal Bunjevci; inner migration; translocalisms; Virovitica; Krivi Put
Hrčak ID:
17531
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2006.
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