The Way It Was - 1800s Part 2 - Politics in Europe

Twenty Years before John Crnkovich’s Birth Year (1840s)

Today’s world is witnessing a series of revolutions in the Middle East, a part of the world where ruling monarchies still exist.  These revolutions will be remembered as, “The Arab Spring,” or “Arab Awakening,” as the countries are predominantly Arab populations.  They want a change of leadership, as most of their rulers have been in place for decades.  They want what we have in America - some version of democracy, and the opportunities, progress, and human dignity that comes with it.  A similar series of revolutions took place in 1848, when most of the world had ruling monarchies.  That time in history is referred to as The Revolutions of 1848 or, “The Springtime of Peoples,” but they took place in Europe.

I read about constitutional monarchies and the social hierarchy that played a part in The Revolutions of 1848, and then revisited the who and what of monarchs, dictators, aristocrats, and peasants, in order to understand the players.  There were tensions about taxes, remaining serf obligations to the nobility, a continual need for conscripted soldiers, desires to be self-governed, in addition to an economic depression, and food shortages.

It was also about the time that my grandfather’s parents, Matt Crnkovic and Lucille Ugovich, were born.  They were born into an area which was slow to participate in the Industrial Revolution, affecting their economic opportunities in life. They were born into a Croatia that was not a democracy, into a part of the world and a time where people had no voting privileges and no representation in their government.  The power, land, and wealth were in the hands of the nobility (the “ban” ) and the Church.

In January I started reading about The Revolutions of 1848 and I was surprised when history began repeating itself before my eyes (on TV) in the Middle East – in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, Libya and others.  It made it easier for me to relate to 1848, when people wanting rights shaped that time in history.  Those Europeans who left undemocratic countries helped create this country, because the seventy years following those revolutions brought waves of immigrants to America.

What Makes a Monarch -and- the Last Croatian King

Theoretically, a King, an Emperor, or Pharaoh, etc. is an absolute ruler, and are given their power over others by God - or are living gods.  This type of government can be referred to as an autocracy, with unlimited powers.  It is what most peoples knew or accepted for centuries.

When the king died, his first son usually succeeded him.  In Croatia’s history, the last Croatian king goes back to 1091.  The king died (or may have been murdered), but he left no heirs.  His brother-in-law was the King of Hungary and wanted his neighboring country, Croatia.  Instead, a Croatian noble was elected king by Croatian lords, but he was soon killed in battle with Hungary.  Because it was believed that only a king could rule, the nobility of Croatia, agreed to be ruled by the King of Hungary after five years of negotiations.  Hungary agreed that Croatia would remain a separate kingdom, not to settle Croatia with Hungarians, and to allow the local “ban” to govern Croatia.

This transferred rule to a non-blood family member, and birth line succession in Croatia ended.  The Croatian nobles traded full independence for security, stability and internal self-rule.  Hungarians ruled Croatia (with some border changes and parts occupied by Turkey) until 1918, even when Hungary was under rule by the Austrian Empire.  FYI - In the Croatian and Serbian languages, king is “kralj”, where the “j” is silent, spoken in English as “krawl”.

I believed that all ruling monarchs had absolute power, or ultimate authority.  But, several had parliaments or assemblies, which had some power or influence, and were elected or appointed.  These were “constitutional monarchies”.  The Austrian Empire had absolute monarchs within its empire until 1848, so if Hungary had a king he was likely an appointed Austrian family member.  Monarchies of the 1800s began to cede some power voluntarily to elected parliaments and prime ministers, but the royals retained authority.  Let me further note that "elected" meant that very few had the right to vote - usually the nobility.  Certainly, not any female nobility voted back then either.

Some countries today with absolute monarchs are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.  To be clear, both absolute monarchs of today, as well as the constitutional monarchies of the 1800s are repressive.  They restrict freedom of speech, and opposition is suppressed, even when parliaments or assemblies exist.  A “supressed” opposition means people who oppose the monarchy could find themselves beaten, jailed, killed, or they may disappear.

Today, there are symbolic monarchs in Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and others.  Historically, they had absolute or constitutional monarchs, but today they are symbolic and have “reserve” powers of government that may allow them to intervene in special situations.  Mostly, they have a ceremonial role in their government, and are important to their country’s tourism.  It is likely that a billion people, on April 29th, will watch on TV the marriage of Prince William of England, in line to become King because of birthright succession. The world will watch the ceremony, not because he will ever make any political decisions for England, but because he is a royal celebrity.  In a modern casual world, the royals bring glamour and regalness, as well as nostalgia for a time gone by.  They also bring a sense of duty, loyalty, and a continuity over the years, which prime ministers and presidents cannot.

What Makes a Dictator -and- When Napoleon Ruled Croatia

A type of constitutional monarchy or authoritarian government first occurred with Napoleon Bonaparte.  He proclaiming himself ruler of France, rather than a divinely appointed ruler.  His rule forecast a more modern form of government.  Modern history also considers him a dictator.

Part of Croatia was under his rule from 1806 to 1813 and his brief rule brought some modernization to Croatia.  Napoleon was a military leader, but just as monarchs, he was into conquering other lands and peoples to expand his power.  This 1809 map marks Donji Kosinj, birthplace of my grandfather, at a time when it was part of the Illyrian Provinces – part of the French Empire under Napoleon I.  (click on map to see details)

Dictators are alive and well in our modern world.  They rule by force or decree. Initially, they may have been elected.  Often, they have been military leaders that command armies, which give them power by force.  Today, as part of the Arab revolutions, the people of Libya are trying to oust their dictator, Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, who declared to the world that he would show no mercy to protestors.  Egypt’s President, Hosni Moubarek, was effectively a dictator for 30 years, recently deposed in February.  He originally came to power after the assassination of Anwar El Sadat.  Mubarek was later elected, but elected rulers become dictators when they use power to stay longer than their elected term. 

Rule by decree allows the ruler to create law, without approval by a legislative assembly. One of the worst examples in history is when Germany’s President was convinced by Hitler to issue such a decree indefinitely.  Then, Nazi authorities were able to constitutionally suppress or imprison their opposition, which paved the way for the one-party rule of the Third Reich.  Many constitutions allow rule by decree, as in democratic Mexico or France, and is to be used in times of emergency.  Many of today’s Arab Spring countries have been under emergency rule for decades.  Rule by decree would affect Croatia later in their history.

Who Are the Nobility -and- were Crnkovics Nobility?

Remember, in the Europe of 1848, the power, land, and wealth was in the hands of the nobility (and the Church).  In the social ranking of people, the nobility ranked high.  Nobility status may also be a hereditary and legal status.  Some nobility may be the “advisors” around the kings or emperors. And, in the hierachy of the Church, most came from families of the nobility.

The nobility are the local rulers of provinces or lands, and have titles such as duke or prince (England) or viceroys (Croatia), or may be known as “lord, master, ruler.”  In Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Greece, the “boyar” is their noble class.  In Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, and other Eastern European countries, the name for their nobility is the “ban”.  As a title, it usually means governor.  Even without a Croatian king, and while under the rule of Hungary or Austria, there was legal nobility in Croatia.  They were the local land administrators and appointed by the Hungarian King.  In the 1800s, Croatian bans became chief government officials and the first Croatian Prime Ministers.

Many nobles were exempt from taxes.  In many parts of Europe nobles had the right to “private” wars against other nobles.  In the modern age, inherited nobility with special rights is abolished in the Western world.  What is the difference between an aristocrat and a noble?  Aristocrats can be nobles.  On the other hand, they can be without titles, hereditary or legal rights, but aristocrats rank within the social circles of nobles.

Just as I was about to tell you that there were no kings or nobles in our family history, my eyes widened when I saw the name, “Crnković” on a list of families that had nobility status. 

Ivan Crnković (1611-1672) was promoted to chief commandant of the Frankopan Guard and, thus, the Crnković family acquired lordship status.  Through marriage he had entered into a family that had local power for more than 300 years.  The family, along with other nobles of Croatia and Hungary, tried to win independence from King Leopold I of Habsburg Austria.  Their effort ended badly with their executions, their estates pillaged and confiscated, and their families were forcibly moved out of the area.  I don’t know where they were moved to, although some escaped to France and England. 

Antun Stjepan Crnković (1782-1848) acquired the title of “Graf” (Count is English equivalent) status in 1842 from the emperor Franz Joseph I for ending an uprising in 1833. He was the chief commissar of Zagreb at the time of the uprising. Where they lived in Zagreb is not near where my grandfather came from, so it is not likely that there is a hereditary connection, although possible.  Based on my father’s visit to Croatia in the 1970s, there was no mention of such status, and the family’s social status at the time would have fell into a low economic status.

The Peasantry in 1848

Peasants are the people who make up the largest group in the lower hierarchy of society. They work all the basic jobs such as farmers, carpenters, metalworkers, servants, bakers, etc.  In every civilization there are peasants.  There were free peasants. And those that were slaves were serfs, and they belonged to the land.  Whoever owned the land, owned them. There is a hierarchy of serfs/peasants, which varied over time, and region.  The legal status of a man determined his rights.

In most countries, peasants were not only under the control of monarchies, but also bound to labor under nobles and aristocrats, which were similar to slaveholders of the southern states in the United States.  Our southern states’ culture and customs could be loosely compared to European nobility.  Our southern plantations would compare to European manors.

France abolished serfdom in 1789.  Austria abolished serfdom about 1781, but there were exceptions.  Romanian Orthodox Monasteries and boyars were one exception.  Their slaves were Romas, or as we know them, gypsies.  In 1848, Austria’s Wallachia and Moldavia, (present-day Romania) still had slavery.  Serfdom remnants were abolished in 1848 in Hungary (April) and Croatia (May), as well as all of Austria’s Empire (September).  Russia did not free their serfs until 1861.  America did not free their slaves until the Emancipation Proclamation, in 1865.  As our Civil War began in 1861, we are remembering that time in 2011, 150 years later.

European nobles, bans, or boyars could impose taxes, labor and/or require a portion of the annual crop yield from peasants or nobles of lower rank who lived or worked within their land.  In some countries, the local lord could impose restrictions on a peasant’s movements, their religion, or legal actions.  The nobles were in control of the courts and police.  Peasants were not just poor, but lived with few rights and a social status that kept them poor.

When serfs were emancipated, they continued to work for a land owner, or they could leave the rural farms and move to the city, where they became poor laborers.  Their social status hardly changed.  This was not unlike slave emancipation in America.  Many remained in the tradition of their ancestors, of working for a landowner, even if they now owned land.  Their parcels were too small to sustain a family and what they owed in payment to the state or landlord kept them somewhat indentured. They often worked another's land in addition to their own.  Life was not very different despite land reforms before or after The Revolutions of 1848.

I do not know specifically what the life of a peasant was like in Croatia, or what type of peasant my ancestors were.  Medieval peasantry and Russian peasantry are well studied, but I could not find information about my grandfather’s region during the 1800s.  The revelation to me is how much of the world was enslaved or lived without freedom in the mid 1800s.  Perhaps 80-90%? This really had me thinking that of the last two thousand years or more...that only in the last two hundred years have people been gaining their freedom.

The Influence of Nationalism in the 1800s

Prior to the 1700s and 1800s in Europe, people did not have a “nation” identity, only a sense of where they lived.  People lived in smaller agrarian communities, identifying themselves as living within the territory of a noble’s land, or “ban” in Croatia.  Many countries had multiple ethnicities and languages because of migration, territory annexations, or occupation because of war.  Now, the Industrial Revolution was changing where people lived and how they lived.

The American Revolution and French Revolution in the late 1700s had popularized the idea of freedom and equality.  New philosophies about democracy, socialism, communism, unification, and nationalism were gaining attention in Europe.

Nationalism is the belief that person’s loyalty should not be to a king or empire, but to the nation.  Of most importance to Nationalists was a common ethnic ancestry.  Shared language, culture, history, and religion also connected people.  Such groups with like characteristics, and with their own government, were defined as nation-states.  Leaders realized that this could unite people.  Rulers saw it differently.  These nationalistic feelings could break apart empires such as the Austrian Empire, and nationalistic feelings has considerably affected Croatia until the present day.

The Revolutions of 1848

Discontent grew among the lower classes because they could see the disparity in their living conditions vs. the reigning and privileged classes.  Many uprisings occurred prior to 1848, including an 1846 peasant revolt against serfdom in Galicia (Poland), where 1000 noblemen were killed by peasants and 500 noble manors were destroyed.  Throughout Europe, a financial crisis and poor harvests also brought an economic depression and mass unemployment.

People took to the streets of France in February of 1848.  Some wealthy militia and army garrisons abandoned the king and joined the protesters.  The King of France attempted reforms, but workers rejected them.  The monarchy was overthrown and this encouraged protests throughout Europe, led by radicals and workers.  They demanded constitutional reform or a complete change of government.  They wanted self-government, not authoritarian or absolute rulers.  Without the help of phones, cell phones, telegrams, TV, Twitter, or You-tube communications, protests quickly spread in a couple of months to other European countries.

Revolution came next to cities in some of the forty plus German provinces, including Prussia (Berlin), Austria (see below), Baden (Kandern) and Saxony (Dresden).  These provinces were constitutional and absolute monarchies, wanting civil liberties and a united Germany, rather than independent states.  (Prussia is present-day northern Germany and Poland.)

In the greater Austrian Empire, revolts occurred from March 1848 through July of 1849, in Vienna (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), and Prague (Czech).  Present-day Slovakia rebelled against Hungary.  Italy had revolutions in many of its states, kingdoms, and duchies against Austria, including Salerno, Naples, Milan, and others.  By December, Emperor Ferdinand I fled Vienna and was forced to abdicate in favor of his nephew Franz Joseph.  In the end, the revolts failed and promises to make changes also failed.

Protests and riots began in Hungary on March 15, 1848 and conflicts continued for a year and a half, with armies becoming involved to fight for the monarchies or for independence.  Russia helped Austria quell the conflict in the end, marching with 300,000 troops into Hungary.  Croatia’s military cooperated with Austria against Hungary in the revolts, participating in at least four battles against Hungarian armies.  Croatia had been resisting Hungarian demands and aggressiveness and so, sided with Austria.  The Ban of Croatia (and also of Slavonia) at the time was Josip Jelacic, who was a noted army general remembered for his military campaigns during the Revolutions of 1848 against Hungary, and the abolition of serfdom in Croatia.  See his portrait.

More struggles occurred in Switzerland, Poland, Wallachia, Ireland, and Belgium.  Denmark had protests but its monarch successfully managed the situation with reforms, unlike the rest of Europe.

Tens of thousands were killed and tortured across Europe during these protests.  It was a time of revolts and challenges to the rule of kings, the aristocracy, and the Church.  The Church dioceses were land owners.  Church bishops and clergy were from noble families, which often put them on the wrong side of the situation.  Royal power was weakened, but the royals prevailed because their armies put down all revolutions.  The revolutions failed because of lack of organization by protesters.

Reforms and negotiations that followed failed due to political squabbling.  Democracy and freedom usually comes as a difficult and slow process, and The Revolutions of 1848 it did not achieve their goals.  The map shows an unchanged Austrian Empire in 1848 - Hungary and Croatia are still ruled by Austria. 

The super powers of the time, Austria, England, France, Prussia and Russia had a prior agreement that no one nation should gain excessive power within their continent.  The Revolutions of1848 changed this political cooperation between countries.  After 1848, they seemed incapable of united action to maintain the balance of power in Europe.  The super powers provoked each other at times, and, some intentionally were breaking the cooperation by appearing to remain neutral in the smaller wars around them.  Secretly, they were providing support, in exchange for territory gained at the end of these smaller wars.

Minor countries found themselves continually under different rulers.  Some looked around and “unified” politically to make them stronger against the aggression of larger countries.  You will see later that Croatia partnered with Slavonia.

One Year Before - 1867

Almost twenty years after The Revolutions of 1848, the desire for independence and self-governance still kept Europe busy with protests, and war.  Both Prussia and Austria continued to compete for dominance over a number of small principalities, despite their like characteristics and an attempt to unify twenty years earlier.  Austria lost in the Austria-Prussian War of 1866. Croatia did not participate in this war, although Austria’s loss of wealth and power affected Croatia.  It led Austria to negotiate with Hungary, which also affected Croatia.

In the year before my grandfather was born, Austria dealt with Hungary’s continued desire for independence, with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, also known as The Dual Monarchy.  In Austria’s German language, it is the Ausgleich of 1867. (Sometimes it's difficult to follow history with so many versions!)

In this agreement signed on March 30, 1867, Hungary didn’t gain independence, but became more equal with Austria.  (If you can’t beat them, join them!)  Hungary benefited by unity with a wealthier, more industrialized Austria.  Austria retained territories by negotiation, rather than potentially losing them in further wars.  They were ruled peacefully for the next 45 years, except for later tensions in the Balkans.

The agreement divided the Austrian Empire into two states and became Austria-Hungary.  Each state had a capital - Vienna in Austria, and Budapest in Hungary.  They each had a parliament, a prime minister, and government.  Common ministers served both states regarding foreign affairs and defense, along with an equal delegation of members from both states that discussed common affairs.

This was a very multicultural union, with many ethnic groups and languages.  The four chief groups were Germans, Hungarians, Slavs, and Italians.  Austria gave Hungary authority over the ethnic minorities in their territory – the Slavs (Croats, Serbs, Slovaks), the Romanians of Transylvania, and part of the Dalmatian coast (Italians).  Austria traded this for keeping the role of managing foreign affairs and defense.

In the map below, the darker orange-colored areas are those areas that Austria continued to govern and Hungary governs the solid yellow areas.  The areas with green lines slashing the yellow areas, are not governed by Hungary, even though they appear to be in Hungarian territory.  Learn in the next post as to why.  See map below of the new union between Austria and Hungary.

John (Ivan) Crnkovich’s Birth Year - 1868

Considering that Croatia came to Austria’s defense against Hungary in 1848, this union wasn’t great for Croatia.  Croatia was still to be ruled by Hungary, but Croatia was given special status because Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria insisted that Hungary and Croatia negotiate their union.  Croatia was allowed some self-governance, but Hungary was to choose Croatia’s governor, or “ban”.  This agreement was the Hungarian-Croatian Agreement of 1868.  It did not make changes in territorial borders.

Also in 1868, the separate kingdoms of Croatia and Slavonia joined into one single kingdom, called, The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia.  This was about two smaller states unifying for strength against others, while still being part of the Kingdom of Hungary.  They tried to add the Kingdom of Dalmatia to their union, but it didn’t happen in the end.  The map shown below represents the territory of the unified kingdoms from 1868 until 1881.

This political unification lasted until 1918, although Croatia was given some authority over Slavonia.  Moreover, this new kingdom was still under the authority of the new Austro-Hungary created the year before.  The “king” of this union, Franz Joseph I, had the title, “King of Croatia and Slavonia”, and as Emperor of Austria.  Franz Joseph I had at least seven “king” titles, including King of Hungary, along with other titles, such as Archduke, Grand Duke, and more.  He did not directly rule the smaller provinces or kingdoms.  A “Ban of Croatia and Slavonia” was appointed to govern the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia.  Slavonia today is a historical reference and eventually most of it became part of present-day Croatia.

Alot of the "unions" were difficult for me to follow when pulling together who was ruling who, and what impact the treaties actually had on Croatia.  If summarized, Austria+Hungary now ruled together but there were provinces they individually ruled.  Compare it to our Federal laws superceding some state laws, and ...then we live under county, city or village laws.  It is a system that can efficiently distribute services and manage territory and people's needs.  In 1868, Austria+Hungary used a similar system, although people did not have elected officials representing them, nor freedom of speech, etc. The hierarchy was Austria+Hungary, Hungary-->Croatia-->Slavonia.  Each country also had counties, towns, or villages that may also have had local rules.  Hungary was pressuring and changing law within their provinces, which included Croatia, to make Magyar (Hungarian) the official language, to eventually assimilate and unite their provinces.  The provinces saw this differently.  For them, Nationalism continued to gain favor because people wanted a sense of belonging and a voice in their destiny....something better than foreign rulers or restrictions because of birthright.

None of these unions affected John Crnkovich’s parents directly.  They did not live in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, nor were they part of Hungary when my grandfather was born …a mystery to reveal next time.  While living in Croatia, my grandfather lived his entire life under Austria's Emperor Franz Joseph.

My grandfather, Ivan Crnkovic, was born to Matt and Lucille Crnkovic on May 25, 1868, in the village of Donji Kosinj, Croatia.  I will think of him this year on May 25th, as this is the first year that I ever knew of his birth date.  There are no photos of him as a child, or of his parents.

By 1868, residents of The Dual Monarchy (Austria-Hungary) enjoyed some civil rights and were represented by parliaments, even if those groups had limited power.  Economic development improved.  The idea of nationalism increasingly controlled Austro-Hungarian politics, not necessarily for the better, and would plague the area for the next forty years.

*Maps best represent the territory at the time and are in the public domain.
*Moammar Gadhafi has multiple spellings, as well as other translated names used here.
*Ivan Crnkovic later changed his name to John Crnkovich, after moving to America.
*Matt Crnkovic's given name, Matt, was likely Matej in the Croatian language.  I have been unable to determine what Lucille translates to in Croatian.  Lucille might have been Louise or Loisa, but I couldn't find those names in the Croatian language.

The Way It Was, 1800s - Part I

A while ago, I was gifted a book about my birth year. "What a Year it Was," outlined what was going on in the world in the year I was born. It was interesting to learn of the politics and world events of the time. It reminded me that I should know something about the world in which my grandfather, John Crnkovich, was born.  Would any of the world’s events in his birth year affect his life? What was happening in the years around his birth?

He was born in the midst of the Industrial Revolution, in southeastern Europe, in 1868. I remember studying the Industrial Revolution in school – how the steamship and other inventions were important. I may have learned about the social and political changes resulting from these inventions, but I don’t recall. Certainly, I never connected how these events affected my ancestors’ lives in Europe.

I read the Industrial Revolution had the greatest influence on human history since the cultivation of crops and domestication of animals. Wow…how did a steam engine do that? And now, we might be living in a time which is equally having an impact on the world. Computers have been changing average lives in every way for more than twenty years.  The Internet has connected the world’s peoples in the last ten years. Will the steam engine of our time be the computer on every desk, or the smart phone?  Or, will Facebook and Twitter be remembered as the new social inventions that changed the world?  Are we in an Information Revolution? Or will it be called a Communication Revolution? It’s probably too early for us to know how others will look back on our time.

Anyways, I want to understand and appreciate the world my grandfather came into. So, back to the steam engine...and, a little review of history will help.  Initially, the steam engine pumped out water from mines.  It was invented in England, and it put them in the lead of something new…industrialization.  It replaced water wheels and horses as a power source. Steam-engine power produced all-metal machines, which in turn mechanized many other industries. Such improvements in the manufacturing process meant things could be made faster or done quicker.  Steam-powered industries, such as cotton mills and ironworks, could now be located anywhere, not just near a water source where water wheels supplied power.

Steam-powered railroads and steamships moved goods faster and farther, and gave more people the opportunity to travel.  European nations established overseas empires to provide raw materials for their factories back home.  England was in India. England, France, and Germany were in Africa. Spain was in Central and South America.

It all started in the late 1700s, in Britain. Industrialization came next to greater Europe and North America, in the 1800s, over a 100-year period.  About the same time there were innovations in agriculture, reducing the amount of manual labor needed. So, rural populations moved to town seeking opportunities in the new factories.  Things were changing from an agricultural and rural economy to a capitalist and urban economy…from a rural household and family-based economy, to a large city, industry-based economy. It changed the world that people knew.

So many of the inventions in the 1800s changed everyday life, even though the average person didn’t get to experience many of them firsthand until the 1900s. Think about the invention of the telephone.  Prior to the telephone, people talked to each other face to face. Before the telegraph, information traveled by letter on horse or by boat, and if we stretched it…by flag waving, smoke signals, or other signaling methods.  With the phonograph there was the ability to record a story or music, and to listen to it at later time.  And, we could have more sources of light than natural or candle light with the invention of the light bulb and gaslight. Other inventions of the1800s included the typewriter, sewing machine, transatlantic cable, steam locomotive, diesel engine, pasteurization, internal combustion machines, dynamite, and more.

In the year of my grandfather’s birth, 1868, George Westinghouse invented air brakes for railway trains, which provided a reliable way for stopping trains.  Robert Mushet invented tungsten steel, which revolutionized the design of machine tools and the progress of industrial metalworking.  And, J.P.Knight invented the first (and unsuccessful) traffic lights, first installed in Britain.

Nikola Tesla, born in 1856 and a few miles from my grandfather’s place of birth in Croatia, was a famous and prolific inventor. Tesla also came to America and worked briefly for Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse.  He sold some of his patents to George Westinghouse, and was friends with Mark Twain and other writers.  As most inventors, he was an interesting character. 

Industrialization Where my Grandfather Came From

Ivan Crnkovic (later changed to John Crnkovich), was born in Donji Kosinj, a small village in the mountainous region of Lika, located in central Croatia, which was under the rule of the Austrian Empire. Croatia is also considered part of Southeastern Europe and also part of the Balkan region. 

The Balkans are a region of countries grouped geo-politically and culturally.  Countries making up the Balkan region have varied over time, and have included - Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Montenegro. It’s important to know something about the Balkan countries, because as a region, its history affects Croatia’s history through the 1990s.

The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains.  It describes the remaining European areas ruled by the Ottoman Empire after 1699 - after a 300-year struggle between the Habsburg Austrian Empire and the Ottoman Empire.  Croatia was Austrian territory at the time, but always a target of Ottoman control.

The Industrial Revolution of Western Europe was affecting the Ottoman Empire, and thus, the Balkan areas.  Goods made using western factory techniques cost less than traditional hand-made goods made from silk cloth, woven in the Ottoman Empire. This put silk weaving into a steep decline, and their economies declined.

There were other things affecting their participation in the Industrial Revolution. People lived in remote forest areas without roads. The Turkish or Ottoman feudal system was still in place, based on subsistence agriculture, and not larger farms that could produce excess food for export and profit. Railroads, as a transportation system, came late to the Balkans.

Money was used for military forces and not invested in industrialized factories, which would have provided jobs and produced income through tax revenues. Overall, the Balkans were not successful in dealing with modernization and remained less advanced than other European and Western countries at the time.

Relative to Croatia

Long after 1699, the area of Croatia in which my grandfather was from, was still being used by Austria as a front line against the Ottomans.  And so, the central mountainous area of Croatia was often referred by its own Sabor (Croatia’s Parliament) as, “Turkish Croatia.”  It was considered remote, without any factories or large farms, without easy access to the coast to export goods. There was poverty in the majority of Croatia’s peasants because of the reasons noted above.

“Beneath limestone mountains, valleys offer a stingy soil. Worked by a thousand years of Croats, it’s good for goats, grapes and little more.”  This was the description of the American travel guide, Rick Steves, who travels Europe, and has radio and TV shows of his travels.  He is wrong about the soil, but right about what it’s good for, because of the Karst physical geography. In the region of Lika, the towns of Otocac, Gospic, and Donji Kosinj, and others are part of the karst river area.  See the map of the Lika region.

Farming in karst areas must take into account the lack of surface water. The soils may be fertile enough, and rainfall may be adequate, but rainwater quickly moves through the crevices into the ground, sometimes leaving the surface soil parched between rains.*   The photo below shows partial Karst features in the Kosinj Valley, posted at Flickr.com by Mezec.

The Lika River area, also known as the Kosinj Valley is quite beautiful.  In medieval times, it was important as the heart of the beginnings of Croatia and subsistent farming in a karst area was OK back in those times. But, it didn't work economically in an industrial era.

See below, a popular photographic spot in the Kosinj Valley. This 19th century bridge crosses the Lika River.  Both Donji Kosinj (Lower Kosinj) and Gornji Kosinj (Upper Kosinj) have always been villages.  There are no large cities nearby today, only other villages or small towns.  The area remains quite rural, and Donji Kosinj's population is less than 1000, not unlike many areas of America today. Its economic value today is in nature tourism – hiking, biking, and camping - west to the Velebit Mountains, and east a few miles to the Plitvice National Park. Photo from Flickr.com, posted by Mezec.

Relative to Minnesota

My grandfather’s future place of residence, Minnesota, had become the 32nd state in the United States in 1858.  Hibbing, where he settled in 1910, didn’t exist until 1893. Even though Croatia always seemed war torn, America had just ended its own civil war in 1865.

Industrialization had come to America. The markets were in the eastern states and railroads connected those markets west to Chicago.  It was important for Minnesota to connect to Chicago, and to the Great Lakes, as speedy transit would bring opportunity and prosperity to the new state. Bringing the “Iron Horse” to an area develops commerce and wealth, and draws people.  It would also bring the Industrial Revolution to Minnesota.

Minnesota began talking about bringing railroads to its state in 1847. Their railway system didn’t happen easily. At least 27 companies were authorized and chartered by the legislature by 1857 to build railroads, but nothing came of them.  The Panic of 1857 happened, causing a depression. Banks closed and financing wasn’t available or sufficient.  Minnesota’s first operating railroad, in 1862, had only 10 miles of railway, between St. Paul and St. Anthony (later Minneapolis).  The first railroad was the result of a Minnesota-financed stimulus program, which gave access to $5 million in bond funding to four railroad companies.   It was a political disaster for the governor who signed the bill. Minnesota’s credit rating suffered for 40 years as a result of the bonds.  The railroad company that built the first operating railroad also went through financial reorganization and other changes to survive.  All around, it seemed a failing situation. However painful it was, Minnesota had a railroad!

The economies in Minnesota depended upon transportation - to cities and ports across the nation.  Initially Minnesota was a logging and farming economy. In 1850, wheat was the major crop. Cheap and fertile land brought immigrants.  Minnesota led the nation in sawmilling from 1848 to 1887. With innovated milling techniques, Minnesota led the nation in flour production between 1880 and 1930. Has anyone heard of Pillsbury, Graham Flour, or Washburn Mills (later General Mills)? Of course, the iron ore mining industry, beginning in 1884, was important to Minnesota and the Crnkovich family, as mining provided my grandfather with employment in America. From 1900 to 1980, the Mesabi Range contributed about 60 percent of the country’s total iron ore. Mining also depended on transportation systems. Minnesota mining provided raw materials for America’s continuing Industrial Revolution.

Did my grandfather come to America because of the promise of the Industrial Revolution, in addition to freedom?  Did he wish to escape the continual wars in his area? No one knows for sure why he came here. Remaining family members say they don't know, but I get to speculate about it here.

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*Karst landscape info from Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst

To see copyrighted photos of the Kosinj area: http://www.flickr.com/
(search for "Kosinj")


All maps are in the public domain.

A Valentine for Them

These are stories in our hearts
      and from our lives,
From relished notes and pen to paper letters,
Of photos, black and white, and Kodachrome
Of records, birth and death,
Of records with Intentions, of committment,
     and honorable service too,
Of testimony and tales.
And, after they're Google'd, Bing'd, YouTube'd,
     tweeted, and Facebook'd,
And, blogged here too...
To the end,
These are memories made,
     that time and Internet will never fade.


Happy Valentines Day
     to Everyone!

Weathering the Weather

I am doing a follow-up story on climate, as there is more to tell. To be fair to Croatia, it’s warmer in the winter there than it is in Hibbing, Minnesota.  Where my grandfather lived in Donji Kosinj, Croatia, it is at least ten degrees warmer. I had second thoughts about those ten degrees, as they would make a difference to me.  My grandfather was almost 42 years old when he moved to Hibbing.  When I reached 42, I was less able to weather the cold and endless winters in Wisconsin.  I have to believe that my grandfather was feeling good about his new life in America, and not concerned with the weather. A good thing was that his summers were as nice in America as they were in Croatia.

100 years later, there are other differences I thought about this past week.  One differentiation is that keeping warm is easier today.  We have lightweight, insulated clothing. Winter clothing 100 years ago was mostly made of heavy wool.  Rural immigrants couldn't afford the stylish clothing we see in period movies or fashion history.  My Aunt Rose talked of wearing long and heavy wool coats, bulky sweaters and skirts to keep them warm.  She reminded me that women did not wear pants!  Everyone wore long cotton or wool socks to keep warm.  Women wore much longer socks under their skirts or dresses, but they never wore pants.

My cousin, Marilyn, additionally mentioned that they wore garter belts to hold up those long stockings.  The garter belt and socks sometimes fell to her ankles. The socks were heavier than the garter belt and were the probable cause of such embarrassing situations!  She also told me that walking through wet snow was worse, making their feet and legs colder, and red. 

Marilyn was working at age 16, had her own money, and purchased her first pair of pants ever. When her mother found out about the pants, she wanted Marilyn to return them, as women were not supposed to wear men's clothing.  The pants were not returnable because of a spot of grease Marilyn got on them.

Actors Marlene Dietrich and Kathryn Hepburn wearing pants helped to make pants become acceptable in the 1930s.  Still, women wearing pants was not OK in many situations. I had to wear a skirt or dress to school until 1969, as pants were not acceptable in schools. I was able to wear pants under my skirt on the way to school, but had to remove them and keep them in my locker during the school day. 

If my shoes got wet from rain or snow on the way to school, we dried them on the school radiators in the classrooms.  As a child, I wore rubber boots, with my shoes inside the boots. I don't remember wearing a shoe boot until late high school or college.  Boots were expensive for a family, if worn only for a few months during year.  They would need a larger size the next year. Larger families could hand them down to younger kids. Marilyn or Aunt Rose couldn't remember if they had boots.  They might have had rubber "galoshes", which slipped over shoes, or boots with zippers or buckles.  Men wore them to keep their shoes dry and protected.  There still are galoshes available today.

Homes were not insulated before the 1970s, when an oil crisis caused heating oil prices to rise dramatically. People began to insulate attics and walls. The 1920's Crnkovich family home, located outside of Hibbing, was a wood house. It had at least one stove for cooking and heating the house.  The stove had a pipe that went through to the second floor to heat the upstairs room. If I lived like that today, I'd be sitting right next to that stove! See the Crnkovich home in Nelson Location below.  

After coming home from school one day, Marilyn was near the stove warming up from the walk home. The heat scorched her new red chinchilla coat.  She had purchased the coat by making monthly payments. She continued to wear the scorched coat, as she couldn't afford to replace it.

Stoves burned wood, and someone had to cut the wood, store it, and stoke the fire.  There are no trees near the house in the family home picture, so the wood most likely came from another lot, miles away, that John Crnkovich owned. Marilyn explained that coal could be used in the stove at night, as it burned more slowly.

Aunt Rose told me that she was lucky to live in a home that had three stoves - in the kitchen, in the living room, and in a large washroom. Her father was able to purchase a nice home at a very good price after an iron-ore workers strike.  The mining company forced strikers to leave the homes.  I am not sure if the mining company owned the homes, but they were homes built close to the mines for the workers.

The washroom had wood and coal stored there, and Aunt Rose can recall the smell of the coal that always was in that room. She helped to carry coal to the washroom when she was young.  There were train tracks close to the Crnkovich home in Nelson Location. During the depression, the kids would pick up coal that had fallen off railroad cars.   Railroad men didn't mind the kids picking up coal, even where train cars were unloaded.

During the winter, an inch or more of ice would form on windows, according to Aunt Rose.  She said they would bank snow against the sides of the house, because houses were not insulated.  Snow added an additional layer that slowed heat from leaving through the home's walls.  It was their version of insulation.

The four girls in Rose's family slept in a bedroom on the first floor.  It had two beds.  Rose and her sisters, Katie and Annie, shared a bed.  Her older sister, Mary, had a bed to herself.  They did not have a "chamber pot" in their room at nite. She thinks they didn't have one because they were on the first floor.  They could get to the outhouse more easily, than if their bedroom was on an upper floor.  Yes, everyone had outhouses.

In 1920, there were at least six Crnkovich children living at the John Crnkovich home in Lavinia.  My father was not yet born.  In 1930, seven children were living in the Nelson Location home.  I learned who was living in these homes because of Federal Census documents. The Nelson location home had a stove with the pipe extending through to the second floor, heating the upper space.   None of the kids had their own rooms, except for Katherine, the girl in the family. Kids shared beds as shared body heat kept them warmer, and in those days, kids didn't normally have their own bed.

Today, Rose is 94, and still lives in Hibbing. Her home is heated with fuel oil.  The oil tank in the basement needs to be checked so it doesn't run out of oil.  Fuel oil is delivered to the home and the tank is filled with a hose from the delivery truck.  Marilyn, at 89, still lives in the area too.  Her home was converted from oil heat to gas heat.  Gas is always available through underground pipes, and doesn’t need to be ordered.

At times, wood is cheaper to burn than oil.  My cousin Marlene sometimes uses a wood stove today.   "We only burn wood when it is really cold or damp outside.  When the fire gets hot, it will turn my furnace blower on and blow the heat through the vents.  I have oil heat.  I can run the wood stove and the furnace at the same time. "  Marlene's stove is in her basement and used to be the stove her Grandma Maras cooked on. "They knew how much wood to put in, and keep the temp just right for cooking and baking bread.  To me, it was a special art to get it right. These wood stoves also kept the kitchen area warm.  I bet the kitchen was hot during the summer because of the stove’s heat while cooking." 

Below is a photo of Grandma Crnkovich, in her Nelson Location home.  A cast iron stove is in the forefront of the photo. The “M” on the front may imply Michigan Stove Works made it.  It looks like a Victorian style, embellished with some chrome. A side panel is lowered, where heat escapes to warm the room. These types of stoves had oven areas to cook food, although this one doesn’t have a stovetop.  There may have been another stove in the kitchen.

Marlene had another story to tell me, about removing snow from her roof.  I never had to remove snow from the roofs of my homes in Wisconsin, but Hibbing gets more snow.  Her roof design is flatter, so the snow can accumulate over the winter.  Her brother, Marty, helped her this past week with removing snow.  "When Marty was on my roof it was past his knees in spots. Most people are taking snow off their roofs just in case we keep getting more snow."   See Marty on Marlene's roof, in the photo below.

A snow rake can be used to remove snow, as seen in the photo below, where she is using it to remove snow from the garage roof.  Once it's off the roof, there is an extra step to remove it from the driveway.  Marlene uses a snow blower.  I'm so happy that I now live in a warmer climate. I don't have to remove snow anywhere, anytime, anymore!

Marlene wrote, "Today I was bringing in wood, to the basement.  Marty came over to help so we got it done a lot quicker.  It is the last of my wood. This wood will take a while to get dried out.  I’m going to get more this spring, put more in the basement, and store the rest in the backyard - bringing it in when I need it.  Getting the wood to the basement is good exercise.  I did it myself this fall.  Anyway, cleaning up after bringing in the wood is more work because of wood chips.  So, I am done!! I hope the snow stops so I don’t have too much to remove tomorrow."  See photo below - the front of Marlene's home.

One last mention about "old times".  My grandfather never had indoor plumbing, nor did Rose or Marilyn when they were young.  So, when it was below zero, the way to the bathroom was outside... to the outhouse.

I thought about my dad's childhood years.  Did the stove provide enough heat to feel comfortable without coats? Or, did they wear coats and hats inside, when the weather outside was extremely cold?  I thought of all the conveniences I have, compared to when they lived in the early 1900s.  I have indoor plumbing - toilets, showers, sinks with running water, and more. They did not.  Regardless of what type of weather they had, in summer or winter, they had to go outside to "go". 

Uncle Martin, Marlene's dad, told her about their cold bedrooms at the home in Nelson Location.  At times, they would wake up with their hair frozen to the metal post headboard or wall!!  Maybe body heat would cause moisture in the hair that made it stick?  Something similar to sticking your tongue on an icy metal pole? I laughed out loud when I read Marlene's note about this.

Something else was different from today.  My grandfather didn't have electricity in 1910, although they did have it in a later home.  So, they had none of today's conveniences to prepare food. They didn't have a television or radio to entertain themselves, although they had a radio in the 1930s.  They didn't get a ride to school in a car or bus.  Their father never owned a car.  The only thing that was slightly similar to my world is that I walked a mile to school, even in the winter.  I was in junior high school at the time, and there wasn't a bus service.  At age 7 and 8, I rode one mile to school on a bike, during good weather.  My parents bought a bus pass for the winter, so it was easier in the winter.  It was life, in the old days. Kids today probably don't want to hear about the old days, just as we didn't want to hear about such things when we were kids.

My last weather story is about my home today.  I didn't turn on the heat in my home this winter until January of this year.  I was curious if I could "weather" the cold, as people did 100 years ago.  My experience wasn't all that comparable, though. My house is well insulated and the outside temperature didn't get lower than 28° F.  The inside temperature was never lower than 55°.  In my first week of cold weather, it wasn't easy for me, but I adjusted to it within the week.  I wore layers of clothing to keep warm.  I sometimes wore a hat and fingerless gloves. There were days when the temperature outside was above 70° F. There were a few days when it was as cold in my house as it was outside, both at 55° F. It seemed warmer outside because the sun was shining. That was a bit weird.  

It has not yet snowed here this winter, but when it does, it will melt within a few hours.  In the last two days it was close to 80° F.  Today, it’s only 28° F with a wind chill that makes it feel like 18° F.  That's how it goes here in central Texas, in the winter, as the cold doesn't last long.   It's easy compared to Hibbing, Minnesota - then or now.