Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/9xn31coqjy
Trade in the Croatian Royal Free Cities in the 17th Century
Hrvoje Petrić
orcid.org/0000-0001-6814-0913
; Odsjek za povijest Filozofskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
In this paper, the author attempts to offer an insight into the trade in royal
free cities of the Croatian-Slavonian Kingdom in the 17th century. Based on
the historiographic results achieved so far, as well as both published and nonpublished
sources, the author primarily tackles the royal free cities: Zagreb
(Gradec), Varaždin and Koprivnica, followed – to a lower extent – by Senj and
Križevci. Trade in the Croatian royal free cities in the course of the 17th century
should be analysed in the context of economic processes taking place in
a wider area. Towards the end of the 16th century, trade traffic was extended
to activities conducted between the continental interior and the littoral areas.
Furthermore, at that time, the scope of trade activities was enhanced through
the north Adriatic ports. Trade-related activities in the territory of the Croatian-
Slavonian Kingdom depended in the 17th century on the neighbouring
Austrian continental provinces and on the Northern Italy. Hence, tradespeople
from these areas chose to immigrate and permanently settle in Zagreb,
Varaždin and Koprivnica. The principal centre of trade was Zagreb. In the
context of the activities of tradespeople in Varaždin, supplying the military
units of the Military Border was predominant, whereas Koprivnica, Senj and
Križevci were towns in which civil and military authorities were intertwined.
During the 17th century, the Croatian royal free cities endeavoured to attract
more tradespeople and other entrepreneurs by introducing diverse relaxations,
in order to improve or revive the overall economic activity. Though trade
activities were in the majority of cases based on buying and selling, other legal
businesses, such as for instance barter, were an option too. Not only tradespeople,
but also other entrepreneurs engaged in such activities. Participants
in the trade were as follows: domestic tradespeople; foreign tradespeople; artisans
(domestic and foreign); members of aristocracy and nobility (and, in fact,
every landowner); peasants from the surrounding areas; resellers and sellers
of bread and groceries on the square.
Keywords
trade; royal free cities of the Croatian-Slavonian Kingdom; 17th century; fairs.
Hrčak ID:
257359
URI
Publication date:
10.5.2021.
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