Original scientific paper

Cultural Activities of the Working Class in Osijek During the Late 19th and the Early 20th Century

Valentina Kezić ; Filozofski fakultet, Zagreb

Abstract

The effects of industrialisation and the emerging capitalist economy began to affect the working class in Osijek from the late 1860s. Unregulated working conditions, low wages, existential uncertainties caused by economic and agrarian crises, along with the circumstances on the market, resulted in workers’ demands for economic and political rights. The efforts to improve their position were made by worker organisations, led by liberal citizens, and later the workers themselves. These organisations were characterised mainly by their cultural and support activities. By using the available archival and newspaper sources, together with recent historiographic works, the aim of the research was to study the public cultural activities of the workers within the mentioned worker societies, as well as those that were organised independently. The results showed that the most common cultural activities, both in the former and the latter cases, were the worker festivities. They included various programmes with the purpose of socialisation and entertainment, while the worker activists used them to disseminate political ideas.

Keywords

Osijek workers; worker societies; cultural activities; worker festivities

Hrčak ID:

302444

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/302444

Publication date:

21.4.2023.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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