Zbornik Janković, Vol. VII No. 8-9, 2024.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.47325/zj.7.8-9.10
THE 18TH-CENTURY CRISES IN KRIŽEVCI AND ITS DEMOGRAPHIC „FOOTPRINT“, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE ‘GREAT FAMINE’ (1785–1787)
Zdenko Balog
Abstract
The proposed study provides an overview of demographic trends in Križevci throughout the latter part of the 18th century, with an emphasis on collective crises and accidents. In addition to other documented disasters, the research focuses on epidemics and the spread of diseases that lead to higher mortality, childlessness, and famine years. The material is mostly drawn from parish (registry) books. This method is based on statistical analyses of the frequency of events (births, marriages, deaths) and particularly of anomalies, in other words – greater positive and negative deviations from the mean and predicted values. Repeating the pattern results in the formation of what is known as a „demographic footprint.“ The demographic footprint can be different depending on the type of threat or accident. This methodology can be applied by identifying the demographic footprint through documented and detailed accidents; additionally, threats and accidents can be reconstructed using the parish register’s identified demographic footprint. The plague of 1767-1768, the fire in 1775, the health crises of 1779 -1782 and 1784 – 1785, and the ‘great famine’ of 1785 – 1787 are investigated. Because the demographic footprints overlap and mix, it is impossible to distinguish out exact years of starvation, childlessness, or higher disease-related mortality due to the frequency of major social threats. The overall balance of births and deaths over a number of years appears to indicate that this is one of the most challenging times in the Križevci’s history.
Keywords
Križevci, ‘great famine’, parish registers, demographic footprint, plague, mortality, nuptiality
Hrčak ID:
320320
URI
Publication date:
29.8.2024.
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