Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.22586/ss.19(2019).1.5
OSIJEK CITIZENRY IN THE REGISTRY OF CITIZENS FROM THE ACQUISITION OF THE FREE AND ROYAL STATUS TO THE FIRST CENSUS OF THE NON-NOBLE POPULATION (1809-1814)
Eldina Lovaš
Abstract
This paper analyses the Osijek citizenry between 1809 and 1814 on the basis of data recorded in the Osijek Registry of Citizens. It provides a short description of sources that facilitate research into the citizens of Osijek; it adduces the civil rights granted by the Charter of the Free Royal City of Osijek from 1809 and the requirements for obtaining citizenship. The data analysis is based on the Registry because this source provides the highest number of individual data on each citizen. By applying statistical, comparative and descriptive methods, an endeavour is made to present the number, the religious and the “national” structure, the marital status and the scope of activities of Osijek citizens. The paper comprises the period from 1809, when Osijek acquired the free royal status, until 1814 when the Osijek non-noble population was recorded for the first time. Hence, this is the first census of commoners after Osijek was proclaimed a free royal city.
The proclamation of Osijek as a free royal city created the preconditions for the Osijek population to acquire civic status which resulted in a series of privileges for individuals, including personal freedom, inalienability of properties and non-payment of certain levies. The obtained data on the Osijek citizenry in this paper are the result of the analysis of the Registry of Citizens; the following conclusions can be drawn: in the period between 1809 and 1814, 569 persons complying with the requirements necessary for taking a civic oath were registered. The status of a citizen in terms of rank was acquired more by non-noble individuals, whereas during the period analyzed, not a single son of a citizen or emancipated serf acquired this status. The occupations of Osijek citizens were various. Artisans were the most present, the most dominant being in those trades that produced products of widespread use such as cobblers, tailors and food producers. Most of the artisans were local people. The second largest group consisted of merchants; representatives of this profession were local people and by contrast to the artisans, the majority of them were Orthodox. The Registry lists only a small number of educated people. Educated individuals working in the city government were local citizens, whereas foreigners stood out in medical professions such as pharmacy and medicine. The conclusion can be drawn that in terms of nationality a rather large number of the Osijek citizens, admitted by the city government, were foreigners; nevertheless, prevailing in the total number were Slavonians, citizens of Osijek and Croatians, i.e. representatives of the local population.
Keywords
citizenry; Registry of Citizens; Osijek, free royal city; beginning of the 19th century
Hrčak ID:
227278
URI
Publication date:
31.10.2019.
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