Review article
https://doi.org/10.21857/ypn4oc12n9
Plague outbreaks in Dubrovnik hinterland during the 17th, 18th and 19th century and Dubrovnik border anti-epidemic measures
Marinko Marić
orcid.org/0000-0002-3329-2463
; University of Dubrovnik, History of the Adriatic and Mediterranean Department, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Abstract
Dubrovnik has been repeatedly linked to its immediate hinterland. To a certain extent, it was dependant on the workforce in order to meet its pressing needs. Furthermore, its main economic branch, trade, extended over to the hinterland to Bosnia and even further. At the same time, the goods came from the Ottoman Empire to Dubrovnik, from where they were transported by ships. That is why the economic and social situation in the hinterland was very important for Dubrovnik. Special attention was paid to the health condition of the general population, given the frequent outbreaks of plague -wreaking tragedy among the people of Dubrovnik. Having learned from previous experiences and epidemics, the Dubrovnik authorities were the first, or among the first, to apply stringent anti-epidemic measures to prevent the spread of the infection to their area. Therefore, at the end of the 14th century, an isolation quarantine was set up for all visitors who came to Dubrovnik from suspicious and possibly affected areas. They created a health service to tend to the overall health of the population. In a way, the border between the Republic of Dubrovnik and the Ottoman Empire was also perceived in terms of an organized health system on the one side and "no system" on the other side of the border. There was no health nor an anti-epidemic service in the hinterland. When an epidemic of infectious disease occurred, which was often the plague, critical measures would be applied as a delayed response conducted in an uncontrolled and primitive manner entailing the burning of infected households, sometimes even with people inside the houses. For this reason, Dubrovnik residents did everything in their power to stop the contagion from spreading at their border. In doing so, they applied rigorous methods and punished severely those who did not adhere to them. Implementing the guidelines in villages on either side of the border was challenging, given that locals on both sides depended on each other in some way. Still, the measures generally yielded significant results, which is also evident in the number of plague outbreaks in the hinterland which did not spread to the Dubrovnik area.
Keywords
the epidemic of plague; public health measures; the hinterland of Dubrovnik; Dubrovnik
Hrčak ID:
248498
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2020.
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