The present area of
Dubrovnik and the surrounding
region was settled by
Illyrians in the 3rd
century B.C.. They also
populated the nothern
region of Greece (Doris),
reached Palestine under
the name Philistines
and, as pirates, were
feared by the Ancient
Greeks. Unlike the piratical
Illyrians, the Greek
colonies in the coastel
area and the Dalmatian
islands off the coast,
placed themselves under
the protection of Rome.
In the 2nd century B.C.,
the Romans founded the
province of Illyricum,
but did not conquer
it until 35 -33 B.C.
under Octavian (Augustus)
and finally, in 9 A.D.
under Tiberius.
The Roman Illyricum,
divided into the provinces
of Dalmatia and Pannonia,
was the native country
of several roman emperors
of the 3rd and 4th centuries
A.D. (among them, the
emperor Diocletian,
whose residence and
palace is situated in
Split, the capital of
Dalmatia). In the area
of the present-day town
of Cavtat, the Romans
established a colony
at Epidaurum, and on
the large peninsula
Laus (wich means rock
in Greek) they founded
a settlement, Rausium.
In the 7th century A.D.,
the Avars and Slavs
invaded the Roman colony.
The few surviving inhabitants
took refuge in the nearby
settlement of Rausium.
Rausium became known
as "Epidaurum, id est
Ragusium" (referred
to in 614 A.D. by an
unknown geogapher in
Ravenna - North Italy).
Rich and thick oak woods
surrounded the settlements,
and the origin of the
name Dubrovnik comes
from the Slav word for
oak - "dub".
"Epidaurum, id est Ragusium"
was under the suverainty
of Byzantinium from
614 - 1205, and in that
period strived by means
of commerce and skillful
diplomacy to preserve
its freedom and independence.
From the little settlement
developed an important
commercial city-state.
The growing influence
of the Slav element
in the population eventually
led the inhabitants
of "Epidaurum, id est
Ragusium" (in Italian:
Ragusa) to name the
city Dubrovnik. The
oldest mention of the
Slavic name for the
city dates from 1189
A.D. (in the charter
of Banus Kulin). In
1204 under the Doge
Enrico Dandalo, the
Fourth Crusade set out
from Venice, taking
in possession all the
important ports and
trade centres on their
way from the Adriatic
Sea to Constantinople.
Dubrovnik also came
under Venetian domination
from 1205 to 1358. However
the Venetians did not
succeed in hindering
Dubrovnik's economic,
political and cultural
development. The actual
power in Dubrovnik lay
in the hands of the
patricians, who understood
how to evade the policies
and influence of Venice
through commerce. After
the Peace Treaty of
Zadar in 1358, Venice
ceded her domination
over Dubrovnik to the
Croato-Hungarian Kingdom.
From that time, and
until 1526, Dubrovnik
recognized the sovereignty
of the Kingdom's rulers.
This was the period
of Dubrovnik's greatest
development and its
attainment of the status
of free, independant
"Republica Ragusina".
The citizens of Ragusa
(Dubrovnik) organized
themselves in fraternities
(one would today call
them parties), whose
elected representatives
put up candidates for
the legislative body,
the Senate, also elected
yearly. Fortyfive senators
were elected. Also elected
on a yearly basis were
two Councils wich, in
turn, elected the city-states
representative (the
councils represented
the nobility and eleven
candidates of the citizen
body). The Senate confirmed
the election of the
city-states representative
and with him conducted
all affairs of the state.
This form of democracy
at this historical period
enabled specific sociological
relations (for example,
acceptance of different
religions), wich assisted
Dubrovnik's mercantile
agents in their free
commerce dealings with
the Orient. With the
expansion of the Ottoman
Empire's dominion and
the gradual dis- appearance
of Croatia within the
framework of Hungary,
the armies of Suleyman
II. stood before the
gates of Dubrovnik in
1526. On the strength
of old commercial ties,
a compromise could be
reached with the pragmatic
Ottomans who, unlike
the Venetian, did not
seek any changes in
Dubrovnik's concept.
With a tribute of 12500
Dukats, Dubrovnik bought
herself freedom.
Ragusa remained a free
commercial city and
consequently, an advantageous
trade outlet for the
Ottoman Empire (one
can compare Dubrovnik's
political situation
at the time to the present-day
Hong Kong). Venice power
waned and Ragusa ultimately
became the commercial
gateway between the
Orient and Western world.
Napoleons expansive
governance led in 1805
to a 2nd War with Great
Britain and also against
Austro-Hungaria, "Battle
of Austerlitz", where
the Austro-Hungarian
Armies were defeated.
Dalmatia, which after
Napoleons occupation
of Venice in 1797 fell
under Austro-Hungaria,
as Illyricum province
became a French protectorate.
In 1806 Napoleons troops
marched into Dubrovnik.
The city state Republic
of Ragusina, the free
Republic of Dubrovnik,
resisted occupation
with all political means.
In the end, the Republic
broke up and became
a part of the Illyricum
protectorate. After
Napoleons defeat in
Russia in 1812 / 1813
and the subsequent war
of independence by the
Russian, Prussian and
Austrian armies, the
new order of Europe
of the Vienna Congress
of 1814 followed. Dubrovnik
hoped of his restitution
but Dalmatia and Dubrovnik
became a part of Austro-Hungaria.
Until 1918 Dubrovnik
remained a part of Austro-Hungaria.
The free Republic of
Dubrovnik sceased to
exist. Dubrovnik, once
a Democracy, now a part
of Austro-Hungarian
it could, at first,
only be submitted to
the new conditions.
However, this town experienced
in the time before and
at the beginning of
the industrial revolution
again an imminent small
flowering.
The modern Ship industries
and there effect on
trade has given back
the feeling of the old
free society. The tourist
sector also saw the
potential merit of this
area and has offered
the first services to
the travelers. Dubrovnik
began to develop tourism
in the late 19th century.
Famous people such as
Lord Byron, George Bernard
Shaw and Agatha Christie
were awed by the town
and Dubrovnik became
a major tourist centre
in Croatia. 1918. Dubrovnik
became part of the Kingdom
of Serbs, Croats, and
Slovenes. In 1929. the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats
and Slovenes became
the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
and was divided into
8 districts. Until 1939.
Dubrovnik was part of
Zetska district and
then was included in
Banovina of Croatia.
At the very beginning
of the World War II
Dubrovnik was first
part of the Independent
State of Croatia. From
April 1941. until September
1943. Dubrovnik was
occupied by the Italian
army and after that
it was occupied by Germans.
In October 1944. Partisans
liberated Dubrovnik
from the Germans. In
1945. Dubrovnik became
part of the Federative
People's Republic of
Yugoslavia. In 1963.
the Federative People's
Republic of Yugoslavia
changed its name into
Socialist Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia and was
consisting of 6 republics.
Dubrovnik was part of
the Socialistic Republic
of Croatia. In 1990.
the republics of the
Socialistic Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia
reached their independence.
The Socialistic Republic
of Croatia was renamed
into Republic of Croatia.
At October 1, 1991.
Dubrovnik was brutally
attacked by the Serbo-Montenegrin
army. The Serbo-Montenegrin
siege of Dubrovnik lasted
for seven months, and
in May 1992. the Croatian
Army liberated Dubrovnik
and its surroundings,
but the danger of Serbo
- Montenegrin sudden
attacks lasted for another
three years. Today,
Dubrovnik is a free
and safe Croatian town,
worldly known and with
Vela Luka, the most
popular tourist destination
in Croatia.
