REFUGEES FROM EASTERN HERZEGOVINA DURING THE UPRISING (1875–1878)

Abstract

Population migrations from the territory of Herzegovina, especially due to its harsh climate and geographical conditions, war conflicts and diseases were a frequent phenomenon. If we add to these conditions the restless spirit, which the Herzegovinian people have raised for centuries in uprisings with great consequences, it is clear that resettlement, i.e. migratory movements of the population were a frequent occurrence. However, migration processes to this day constitute an extremely serious whole in historiography that has not been particularly explored. In this regard, if the data related to the population census, both Ottoman and Austrian, are excluded, migration processes and refugee movements were almost not even addressed during the uprising in Eastern Herzegovina in 1875–1878, or were only mentioned. Most often, we only encounter information on how many refugees have gone to neighboring territories, without a deeper analysis and information from the field. Therefore, the main goal of our work is to process these processes in more detail, according to the possibilities and availability of data. The work was created on the basis of relevant historical sources, literature and newspapers, and on the basis of respect for all scientific-methodological principles.