Social and economic history of Slavonia in the period of 1699 to 1868 is the part of Croatian historiography that has been most insufficiently investigated. This region of Slavonia and Sirmium (a greater part of it is today an integral part of the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro) and Baranja (former southern Hungary) is currently researched only by a few scholars and only a few segments with regard to this topic have been researched so far. Therefore, systematic research of this topic within the mentioned period is required. This research will mainly be concerned with acquisition of new knowledge on social and economic history as well as a special role of Slavonia in modernisation processes in Croatia in the 18th and 19th century. Within frames of this project research of several problem areas have been foreseen: 1. research of social and economic conditions from the liberation of the Ottoman Empire to Croatian-Hungarian Agreement; 2. interaction of social conditions and economic development and relationships of economic subjects with other parts of Croatia, i.e. the Habsburg Monarchy; 3. effect of social and economic development on the formation of Croatian identity; 4. research of demographic development and migration in Slavonia; 5. social developments in the Croatian-Slavonian Military Border; 6. influence of religion on the formation of identity in the Croatian-Slavonian Military Border; 7. process of creation of national awareness in the 1848 Revolution in the Croatian-Slavonian Military Border and 8. economic importance of great river waterways. This research will result in newly acquired knowledge on social and economic development of Slavonia in the 18th and 19th century, which will be presented to scientific circles and wider public through scientific and expert papers, discussions, books and monographs. Research of this topic will provide better understanding of social and economic history of Slavonia in the 18th and 19th century and the role of Slavonia in the social and economic development of Croatia. Also, efforts will be made to establish links of Slavonia with modernisation processes of Central Europe. Efforts will also be made to demonstrate the effect of social, economic and demographic conditions and the Military Border system on the formation of Croatian identity. Obtained results will serve as guidelines for future historiographic research of the history of Slavonia in the 18th and 19th century.
Leading researcher:
- prof. dr. sc. Zlata Živaković Kerže
Researchers:
- dr. sc. Robert Skenderović
- dr. sc. Milan Vrbanus
- dr. sc. Damir Matanović – visiting researcher (Učiteljski fakultet u Osijeku)
