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ŠUMARSKI LIST 1-2/2004 str. 56     <-- 56 -->        PDF

D. Getz: SREDNJI VIJEK U BARANJI; OSVRT NA KRAJOLIK. ŠUMARSTVO l RIBARSTVO
SUMMARY: Whereas the socio-political conditions in Baranja and


Eastern Slavonia in the Middle Ages have been relatively well studied and


described, little is known about the landscape and the economy. What was


happening to forests and forest game, did landowners have expert manage¬


ment or was there chaos in this respect? There are currently very few avail¬


able written documents dating from this period.


We had less difficulty with the description of the landscape and the plant


and animal world because very few changes had taken place from the


Quaternary (and from earlier periods).


The focus was put on the representatives of individual groups of animals
recorded by travel writers and naturalists of the late Middle Ages and the
early New Age. The territorial distribution of species and groups (zoo and
phytocoenoses) is still unclear, and so are the disappearance and appear¬
ance, the migrations from one area to another, including a larger territorial
distribution and migrations that might have taken all directions.


From the standpoint of modern ecology, the Middle Ages were a superla¬
tive period; ecosystems functioned autonomously with hardly any interfer¬
ence of man. The vastness of river flood areas was outstanding and was char¬
acterised by high organic production.


In terms of ecological conditions in Baranja, the prime place was taken by
flooding of the rivers Danube, Drava and Karašica (in Baranja). The
renowned "corner" of the Danube and the Drava, presently known as
Kopački Rit, and the flood area of the river Karašica played the most impor¬
tant role in the fishing industry in this part of the Pannonian Plain. Later, the
flood area of the Karašica disappeared following extensive hydro-ameliora¬
tive activities in the 18th and the 19th century.


Forests were utilised in a haphazard manner. Their cutting down depend¬


ed on the needs of landowners. There was a permanent conflict between serfs


and landowners about cattle grazing. Apparently, the sources of conflicts


were oak forests which bore rich crops of acorn. Acorn was collected and sold


as the best qualityfood. Forest owners sold wood at fairs either as standing


timber or as the whole coupes. The forests in Baranja were divided into


"insular" forests - flood forests, and "land" forests - those out of reach of
floods. A tripartite Code of Common Law of the Kingdom of Hungary ...
(Tripartitum opus iuris consuetudinari inclyti regne ...) dating from this peri¬
od protected forests; it dealt with the rights of owners and banned cattle graz¬
ing. Hunting was exclusively the privilege of landowners. The caught game
was used as food and its fur was processed into various garments.


Fishing was an important branch of economy. Fish was merchandise
which was sold both processed and fresh. It was transported to Hungary and
Austria and to other countries of the Kingdom by rivers. Live fish was trans¬
ported by special fish boats (tikvara). Offish products, beluga (Huso huso L.)
was particularly appreciated. The fishermen of Osijek were well known for
the two specialities locally called "trakanac" and "loparac". In the Middle
Ages fishermen were organised in guilds. Guilds had a certain religious sta¬
tus in religious feasts. They had their insignia, flags, uniforms, coats of arms,
guild niches, statutes and other legal books.


Key words: the Middle Ages, forest and water ecosystems, forestry,
fishing


Šumarski list br. 1-2. CXXVI1I (2004). 41-54