DUBROVNIK

Dubrovnik je grad na jugu Hrvatske, administrativno središte Dubrovačko-neretvanske županije i jedno od najvažnijih povijesno-turističkih središta Hrvatske.

Gradska naselja
Grad Dubrovnik sastoji se od 32 naselja, to su: Bosanka, Brsečine, Čajkovica, Čajkovići, Donje Obuljeno, Dubravica, Dubrovnik, Gornje Obuljeno, Gromača, Kliševo, Knežica, Koločep , Komolac, Lopud , Lozica, Ljubač, Mokošica, Mravinjac, Mrčevo, Nova Mokošica, Orašac, Osojnik, Petrovo Selo, Pobrežje, Prijevor, Rožat, Suđurađ, Sustjepan, Šipanska Luka, Šumet, Trsteno i Zaton.

Povijest

Počeci i širenje
Postoji nekoliko teorija o osnutku Dubrovnika (lat. Ragusa), a općeprihvaćena je ona da je Grad osnovan u 7. st., kad su se Latini iz grada Epidaura (južnije od Dubrovnika, na istom je položaju današnji Cavtat) sklonili pred navalom Avara i Slavena na hrid Laus, što znači stijena (Laus --> Lausium --> Rausium --> Ragusium --> Ragusa). Kasnije su ti isti Slaveni izgradili naselje na južnim padinama brda Srđ, na kopnu preko puta hridi i nazvali su ga Dubrava, što znači šuma duba (hrasta). Tijekom vremena su se naselja sve više povezivala da bi se potpuno spojila u 11. st., nasuvši uski kanal što ih je dijelio (današnja ulica Placa tj. Stradun), a u 12. st. i 13. st. zaštitivši se potpuno obrambenim zidinama (dub. miri). Prema drugim teorijama i antičkim natpisima Dubrovnik je možda osnovan i prije 3. st., kao malo naselje na otočiću Laus.

Dubrovnik je u početku bio u sastavu Dalmatinskog temata i priznaje vlast Bizanta. Prvi se puta u ispravama spominje 850. g. Oko 992. g. spalio ga je car Samuilo. Krajem 10. st. osniva se dubrovačka nadbiskupija i metropolija. Tada postaje crkveno neovisan od Splita. Od 1205. g. Mletačka Republika, koristeći križarski pohod, vlada Dubrovnikom, što traje do 1358. g. U vrijeme mletačke vlasti Dubrovčani dižu tri bune, ali se nisu mogli osloboditi mletačkog gospodstva.

Iako je priznavao mletačku vlast, Dubrovnik je uspio sačuvati autonomiju jer je birao Malo i Veliko vijeće, Senat, te ostale organe gradske samouprave. Komuna je 1272. g. dobila statut. U Dubrovniku se vrlo rano razvija trgovina, posebno sa zaleđem i to ponajprije s Bosnom u doba Kulina bana.

Stanovništvo se dijeli na bogatu vlastelu - patricije (Nobiles cives), gradski puk - pučane, obično na poslovima trgovaca i kapetana, kao i pisara, i kmetove, seljake koji rade za vlastelu - obrađuju zemlju. Patriciji se pokušavaju zatvoriti unutar sebe, no posljedica toga je odumiranje vlastelinskih porodica. Morali su popustiti te sklapati brakove s pučanstvom.

U vrijeme uspona Raške uspješno se branio od njenih napadaja. U 13. st. vlast Dubrovnika raste na šire gradsko područje i susjedne teritorije. Tako se Lastovo dobrovoljno priključuje Dubrovniku, a od 1333. g. u sastavu Dubrovačke Republike je i Stonski rat tj. Pelješac sa Stonom. Car Dušan (srpski car) je prepustio Dubrovniku, kontrolu nad stonskim rtom (Pelješcem) uz naknadu od 500 perpera, plaćanje poreza. 1345. g. i Mljet ulazi u sastav Republike.

Ston je imao veliko strateško značenje za Dubrovnik jer je tako mogao kontrolirati plovidbu oko ušća Neretve i u Mljetskom kanalu. Prostor od Stona do Zatona Dubrovnik je osigurao kada je početkom 15. st. od Bosne kupio Konavle (istočni dio s gradom Soko 24. 6.1419. te zapadni dio s Cavtatom i Obodom 31. 12.1426.). Tada su utvrđene granice Republike koju od kraja 15. st. priznaju svi dubrovački susjedi.

Dubrovnik je potpisao brojne međunarodne ugovore s talijanskim gradovima (posebno s Pisom) i ostalim susjedima u zaleđu (Bosna, Srbija), većinom osiguravajući prevlast i povlašten položaj dubrovačkih trgovaca.

Zadarskim mirom 1358. g. Mletačka Republika se odrekla svih posjeda na istočnoj obali Jadrana u korist Hrvatsko-Ugarske Kraljevine. Dubrovnik je, u uspješnom diplomatskom potezu, prihvatio simboličnu vrhovnu vlast kralja (Ludovika I.), koja nije Hrvatsko-Ugarskoj davala doslovno nikakav utjecaj nad komunom i plaćao danak od 500 dukata, čime se osigurao i od nasrtaja Venecije.

Od tog vremena Dubrovnik sve više izgrađuje svoju samostalnost i neovisnost. Kneza biraju sami Dubrovčani, a nakon smrti Ludovika I. 1380. g. razvija se u samostalnu i priznatu Republiku.

Procvat Dubrovačke Republike
Dubrovačka Republika je bila patricijska aristokratska republika u kojoj je vlast imala vlastela sakupljena u Velikom vijeću (parlament). Veliko vijeće je biralo gradsko činovništvo - Vijeće umoljenih (Senat) koje se brinulo za vanjske poslove, te Malo vijeće (izvršna vlast). Knez se birao na 1 mjesec kako bi se spriječila ikakva korupcija. Dubrovnik nije imao stalnu vojsku, već samo redare i stražu, a ako je bilo potrebno, uzimao je plaćenike. U 15. st. imao je oko 40.000 stanovnika, što ga je činilo jednim od većih gradova u Europi (London oko 50000, Firenca preko 100000)

Dubrovačka Republika doživljava svoj procvat u 16. st., kada Dubrovčani uspješno uspostavljaju trgovačke veze s Turcima (iako im plaćaju danak, zadržavaju slobodu, neovisnost i povlastice slobodne trgovine na cijelom području Osmanskog Carstva. Dubrovčani su već od ranije imali svoja uporišta na Balkanu i uspješno razvijaju trgovinu s Turskom, ali i Italijom i Španjolskom.

U bugarskom glavnom gradu Sofiji, postojala je Crkva sv. Marije i sv. Vlaha, koju je puk nazivao "Dubrovačka crkva", i koja je dugo vremena bila jedino mjesto u Osmanskom Carstvu u kojem je kršćanima bilo dopušteno služenje misa.

Trguje se rudarskim, poljodjelskim i stočarskim proizvodima, manufakturnom robom, solju i dr. U 16. st. Dubrovnik je imao jaku mornaricu (oko 180 brodova), po jačini i veličini treću u svijetu. Dubrovački su brodovi prevozili robu stranih trgovaca, plovili obalama Sredozemnog mora i stizali sve do Engleske, a postoji i dokazani slučaj da je dubrovačka karaka došla do obale Sjeverne Amerike, gdje su se pomorci pomiješali s lokalnim stanovništvom (Indijancima). Također je poznata dubrovačka kolonija u mjestu Goa i Gvendolin u Indiji, gdje još postoji Crkva sv. Vlaha, zaštitnika Dubrovačke Republike i Dubrovčana i poneki potomci dubrovačkih trgovaca.

Temelj gospodarstva Dubrovnika činila je posrednička trgovina i pomorstvo, ali i obrt i veleobrt. U 15. st. organiziraju se prve radionice za proizvodnju sukna, stakla i sapuna. U to vrijeme Dubrovnik je imao i prosvjetne, socijalne, komunalne i gospodarske ustanove. U 16. st. zahvaljujući trgovini i pomorstvu, u Dubrovniku se akumuliraju znatna financijska sredstva. Utemeljuju se jača trgovačka i pomorska poduzeća, ali se i produbljuju socijalne razlike između pučana, pa se bogatiji izjednačuju s vlastelom. Dubrovnik se izgrađuje prihodima od obrta i trgovine.

U Dubrovniku je najviše poštovana bila sloboda. Imao je svoju zastavu (s likom zaštitnika sv. Vlaha i drugu sa slovima "LIBERTAS - lat. Sloboda"), grb i vojsku. Uspostavio je razgranatu mrežu diplomatskih i trgovačkih predstavništava u mnogim europskim zemljama. Njihove interese na dvorovima europskih vladara zastupaju njihovi poklisari, dok konzulati štite interese dubrovačkih pomoraca.

Važan zaštitnik dubrovačke slobode bila je Španjolska, a najveći neprijatelj njegovoj neovisnosti i slobodi Venecija. U drugoj polovici 16. st. opada moć Dubrovnika. Uzroci su u velikim zemljopisnim otkrićima i revoluciji cijena koja obezvrjeđuje novac. Dubrovački bankari manje ulažu u brodarstvo i obrt, jer nedostaje kapitala, a konkurencija francuskih, engleskih i nizozemskih pomoraca je sve veća.

U Dubrovniku se između 1627. i 1701. godine kovao Artiluk, srebreni novac.

Opadanje
Godine 1667. Dubrovnik je gotovo uništio snažan potres u kojem je stradao velik broj Dubrovčana, dok je mnogo zgrada porušeno.

Potres 1667. nije bio jedini događaj koji je uzrokovao opadanje moći Dubrovačke Republike, naime otkrićem Amerike trgovački su se putevi premjestili na Atlantik, izgradnja splitske skele od strane Mlečana te činjenica da više nisu imali monopol na trgovinu s Turcima jedni su od glavnih uzročnika. Potres, a nedugo zatim i požar, samo su kruna svih nedaća koje su u to doba zadesile Dubrovnik.

StradunNakon višestoljetnog uspješnog balansiranja između dviju velesila u svom okružju - Mletačke Republike i Otomanskog Carstva, opća europska ofenziva na Turke (poraz pod Bečom 1683., kod Mohača 1687.) odrazila se i na Dubrovnik, jer su Mlečani iskoristili slabost Turaka i uzimanjem trebinjskog kotara posve odrezali Dubrovnik od Turskog Carstva i doveli ga u vrlo tešku situaciju. Međutim, mirom u Srijemskim Karlovcima 1699. morala se Mletačka Republika povući iz Popova polja i vratiti ga Turcima, a tom je prilikom provedeno prvo sustavno razgraničenje Turske i Venecije u Dalmaciji. Dubrovčani su se još jednom, ponajprije vještom diplomacijom, oslobodili opasnosti da ih Mletačka Republika okruži i odvoji od zaleđa.

Mirom u Požarevcu 1718. Dubrovčani su napravili koridor između Neuma i Kleka, koji je ostao Turcima. Tako su se Dubrovčani i fizički odvojili od mletačkih posjeda u Dalmaciji. Tijekom ratovanja s Turcima (1683-1699.) Dubrovčani su se odlučili ponovno prihvatiti simboličnu vrhovnu vlast ugarsko-hrvatske krune i obnavljaju ugovor iz 1358. g. U 18. st. ponovno jača dubrovačko gospodarstvo i Dubrovnik izgrađuje jaku mornaricu. Orijentaciju velikih europskih pomorskih sila na Atlantik Dubrovnik koristi za tranzit na Sredozemnom moru, ali su njegovi brodovi plovili i preko Atlantika do Amerike.

U 18. st. Dubrovnik ima više od 85 konzulata. Najjači gospodarski činitelj bilo je građanstvo, jer se vlastela nakon potresa 1667. g. prorijedila.

Nestanak Dubrovačke Republike
Početkom 19. st. na sceni Europe pojavljuje se Napoleon, što bitno utječe i na povijest Dubrovnika. 26. 5. 1806. u Dubrovnik ulazi vojska francuskog generala Lauristona, koja okupira Grad, a 31. 1. 1808. maršal Auguste Frederic Louis Viesse de Marmont ukida Dubrovačku Republiku, unatoč protivljenju vlasti Republike. Nakon propasti Napoleona, na Bečkom kongresu 1815. dubrovački diplomati pokušavaju obnoviti Republiku, no ne uspijevaju zbog austrijskih težnji za širenjem teritorija. Pod vodstvom Điva Natalija Dubrovčani dižu bunu 1813. i oslobađaju se strane vlasti, ali za nekoliko mjeseci austrijska vojska ulazi u Grad i prekida pobunu.

Novija povijest
Kad je 1815. službeno prestala postojati Dubrovačka Republika, njezin je teritorij pripojen Dalmaciji, kojoj je kulturno i povijesno oduvijek pripadao. Ona je zajedno s Hrvatskom i Slavonijom činila Trojednu kraljevinu Hrvatske, Dalmacije i Slavonije, koja je do 1918. bila u sastavu Habsburške Monarhije, odnosno Austro-Ugarske.

Nakon Prvog svjetskog rata, raspadom Habsburške Monarhije, Dubrovnik, zajedno sa cijelom Hrvatskom, biva dijelom Države Slovenaca, Hrvata i Srba, koja 1. prosinca 1918. postaje Kraljevina SHS, te 1929., konačno Kraljevina Jugoslavija. Podjelom te zemlje na 33 oblasti, Vidovdanskim ustavom 1921., osniva se 1923. dubrovačka oblast. Ona proglašenjem diktature postaje dijelom Zetske banovine, sa sjedištem u Cetinju. Konačno, 1939., stvara se posebna Banovina Hrvatska, čiji su dijelovi i Dubrovnik i okolica.

Godine 1941., proglašenjem Nezavisne Države Hrvatske, njezinim dijelom postaje Dubrovnik. On je bio sjedište župe Dubrave. Većina Dubrovčana diže ustanak protiv fašističke NDH, te se pridružuje ilegalnom antifašističkom pokretu kojeg su vodili Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odredi Jugoslavije. U Dubrovniku je bio prisutan fašistički teror.

Završetkom rata i osnivanjem komunističke Demokratske Federativne Jugoslavije, Dubrovnik ulazi u njen sastav, te postaje dijelom Narodne/Socijalističke Republike Hrvatske.

U srednjoj i istočnoj Europi počinje slabiti sovjetski politički i društveni sustav. Tada u Hrvatskoj počinje djelovati organizirani pokret kojemu je bio cilj slobodna demokratska Hrvatska, koju više nitko ne će gospodarski izrabljivati ni nacionalno ugnjetavati.

Godine 1990. održani su višestranački izbori, kojom je srušen komunizam u Hrvatskoj. Najviše je glasova dobila Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, pod vodstvom Franje Tuđmana. Iz Dubrovnika su u Hrvatski sabor izabrani jedan nezavisni kandidat i trojica zastupnika s liste HDZ-a. 1991. održan je referendum na kojem se većina Dubrovčana opredijelila za neovisnu Hrvatsku.

Istovremeno je proveden i popis stanovništva, po kojem u dubrovačkoj općini živi 70 602 stanovnika, od toga 58 300 Hrvata, 4 735 Srba, te Muslimani i druge nacionalnosti. Znajući za skori rat, većina Srba seli u Republiku Srpsku i Crnu Goru.

1. listopada 1991., pripadnici JNA iz Trebinja, te crnogorski dobrovoljci - počinju oružani napad na Dubrovnik, s ciljem stvaranja velike Srbije. Grad je svakodnevno bombardiran, a najžešće je bilo 6. prosinca 1991.

Od granata je nepovratno stradao križ na Srđu. Isto tako, oštećena je Onofrijeva česma, franjevački i dominikanski samostan, crkva sv. Vlaha i druga svetišta, Arhiv, hoteli, električnme instalacije i brojne druge zgrade.

Međutim, vrlo brzo je došla pomoć UNESCO-a, te je grad savršeno obnovljen.

 

Zemljopisni položaj
42°66' N - 18°07' E

Dubrovnik se nalazi na južnom Jadranu. Grad se razvio na istočnoj obali Jadranskog mora, gdje prestaje niz jadranskih otoka i počinje otvoreno more. Leži na južnim padinama i u podnožju brda Srđ. Šire dubrovačko područje obuhvaća uski primorski pojas dug oko 250 km, koji se proteže od Kleka na zapadu do Sutorine i rta Prevlaka na istoku.

Ekonomija

Demografija
Prema popisu stanovništva iz 2001. godine grad Dubrovnik ima 43.770 stanovnika, 88,39% su Hrvati.

Sport
Dubrovnik je poznat kao „vaterpolski” grad.

Vaterpolo:

"VK Jug": vaterpolo klub, 5 puta prvaci Hrvatske, 21 naslov prvaka bivše države te tri puta europski prvaci
"ŽVK Jug"
"VK Dubrovnik"
"Dubrovački veterani"
Nogomet:

NK GOŠK Dubrovnik:nogometni klub
Šah:

Šahovski klub Dubrovnik, osnovan 1933. godine
Boćanje:

"Signalizacija", " Strijelac", "Gromača", "Dubank"
Ragbi:

ragbi klub "Dubrovnik"
Košarka: "KK Dubrovnik", "ŽKK PGM Ragusa"

Rukomet: "RK Dubrovnik"

Odbojka: "OK Dubrovnik", "Ženski odbojkaški klub Nova Mokošica"

Plivanje: "PK Jug"

Divlja Liga: prvenstvo dubrovačkih kupališta u vaterpolu:Pobjednik 2006 Palace

Konzulati u Dubrovniku
Danska
Nizozemska
Austrija
Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo (Velika Britanija)

Kultura
Dubrovački muzeji - www.mdc.hr/dubrovnik

Festivali

Dubrovačke ljetne igre
Dubrovačke ljetne igre

Glazbeni festival "Julian Rachlin i prijatelji"
Julian Rachlin i prijatelji je festival komorne glazbe koji se od 2000. godine tradicionalno, krajem ljeta odvija na pozornici u atriju Kneževog dvora. Na festivalu uz utemeljitelja festivala, poznatog violinista i violista Juliana Rachlina nastupaju brojni poznati svjetski glazbenici.

Filmski festival Libertas
Libertas Film Festival započeo je 2005. s idejom da se festivalska kulturna ponuda Dubrovnika proširi i filmskom. Festival se odvija tijekom ljeta, a na reportoaru se prikazuju igrani i dokumentarni filmovi nezavisnih produkcija posvećeni promociji slobode iz zemalja diljem svijeta. U natjecateljskom dijelu izabrani filmovi bore se za nagradu Dubravka koju dodjeljuje stručni žiri u kategorijama najbolji igrani film, najbolji dokumentarni film i najbolji kratki film. Film najbolje ocijenjen od strane publike dobiva posebnu nagradu publike.

Projekcije se održavaju u dubrovačkom kinu Sloboda, gradskom kazalištu Marin Držić, obnovljenom ljetnom kinu Jadran unutar dubrovačkih gradskih zidina i ljetnom kinu na krovu tvrđave Revelin.
Službena web stranica festivala

Dubrovački međunarodni filmski festival
Dubrovnik International Film Festival (DIFF) je međunarodni filmski festival koji se u Dubrovniku održava od 2003. godine. Projekt je započet kao inicijativa međunarodne organizacije Dubrovnik Film Institut. Festival je natjecateljskog karaktera. Stručni žiri dodjeljuje nagrade DIFF-a u kategoriji igranog, dokumentarnog i kratkog filma. Osim tih nagrada dodjeljuju se i nagrada publike za najbolji film festivala, nagrada Libertas za životno djelo i nagrada Argosy za izvanredan pojedinačni doprinos u području filmskog stvaralaštva.
Službena web stranica festivala

Karantena
Festival suvremenih scenskih umjetnosti Karantena iniciran je 1997. od strane Art radionice Lazareti, dubrovačke udruge koja u svojim kontinuiranim programima želi stvoriti kulturni centar u kojem bi se posjetioci mogli upoznati sa suvremenim umjetničkim izričajem. Festival donosi različita oblike suvremenog alternativnog umjetničkog izražavanja od raznovrsnih performansa, multimedijalnih instalacija te suvremenih plesnih, glazbenih i scenskih radova. Festival od svog početka ima međunarodni karakter te pored domaćih umjetnika na njemu sudjeluju i brojni gosti iz inozemstva.

Kazalište Marin Držić
Dubrovnik je u svojoj povijesti imao bogatu kazališnu tradiciju, brojne pisce, glumce i pozornice. Gradsko kazalište Marin Držić s vlastitim umjetničkim ansamblom osnovano je krajem 2. svjetskog rata. Na svom repertoaru teži uprizorenju djela starih dubrovačkih i drugih zavičajno, tematsko i jezično bliskih autora, uz povremene odmake u smjeru suvremenijih tema. Kazalište povremeno svoja djela prikazuje u sklopu Dubrovačkih ljetnih igara te gostovanja u drugim gradovima.

Crkve u Starom Gradu
Katedrala
Crkva sv. Vlaha
Crkva Male braće
Franjevački samostan
Dominikanski samostan
Isusovačka crkva
Crkva sv. Josipa
Crkva sv. Nikole
Sinagoga
Srpska pravoslavna crkva

Mladi
Udurga mladih Orlando

Obrazovanje

Osnovne škole
OŠ MARINA GETALDIĆA
OŠ LAPAD
PŠ Montovjerna
OŠ MARINA DRŽIĆA
OŠ IVAN GUNDULIĆ
OŠ Mokošica
Umjetnička škola Luke Sorkočevića

Srednje škole
Obrtnička škola Dubrovnik
Klasična gimnazija Ruđera Boškovića Dubrovnik
Ekonomska i trgovačka škola Dubrovnik
Gimnazija Dubrovnik
Medicinska škola Dubrovnik
Pomorsko-tehnička škola Dubrovnik
Turistička i ugostiteljska škola Dubrovnik
Umjetnička škola luke Sorkočevića Dubrovnik

Sveučilište u Dubrovniku
Detaljniji članak o ovoj temi: Sveučilište u Dubrovniku

Povijest visokog obrazovanja u Dubrovniku je duga i započinje 1624. godine kada su Jezuiti osnovali Collegium Rhagusinum. Senat Dubrovačke Republike 1654 proglasuje ga javnim visokim učilištem na kojemu se izučavala umjetnost i prirodne znanosti. Na tom učilištu obrazovali su se mnogi Dubrovčani tog vremena, među njima i Rugjer Jodzo Bošković, najpoznatiji dubrovački znanstvenik onog vremena koji je obrazovanje poslije nastavio na poznatom Collegium Romanum u Rimu.

U moderno doba, visoko obrazovanje u Dubrovniku počinje s Višom pomorskom školom, Fakultetom za vanjsku trgovinu i turizam i Pomorskim fakultetom. Do osnivanja dubrovačkog Veleučilišta i Sveučilišta visokoobrazovne institucije bile su u sklopu Sveučilišta u Splitu.

1994. godine Sabor Republike Hrvatske donio je novi Zakon o visokim učilištima u kojem se razdvajaju dva smjera u visokom obrazovanju: znanstveni (sveučilišni) odvaja se od stručnog (veleučilišnog). U Dubrovniku se 1996. osniva stručni veleučilišni studij. Nakon što su stvoreni uvjeti za osnivanje sveučilišta, 16. prosinca 2003. osnovano je Sveučilište u Dubrovniku. Danas sveučilište ima veći broj dodiplomskih i poslijediplomskih studija.

ACMT
American College of Management and Technology (ACMT) je visoko obrazovna institucija osnovana međunarodnom suradnjom američkog sveučilišta Rochester Institute of Technology, ministarstva znanosti i tehnologije Republike Hrvatske i veleučilišta u Dubrovniku. Institucija je osnovana 1997. godine i to je jedina obrazovna institucija u Republici hrvatskoj koja nudi završenim studentima diplome koje su ravnopravno priznate u SADu i Hrvatskoj.

Poznati Dubrovčani i Dubrovkinje
Đivo Frana Gundulić, pjesnik
Đivo Siskov Gundulić, pjesnik, 1677 - +1721, Suncanica, prikasanje poluzalostivo. U Dubr. kod Martecchina 1840. u 8.str.104.
Marin Držić, pisac
Ivo Vojnović, pisac
Ignjat Đurđević, pisac
Marin Getaldić, znanstvenik
Ruđer Jodzo (Josip) Bošković, znanstvenik
Đivo Vučić Bunić, pjesnik
Frano Supilo, političar
Eduard Miloslavić, liječnik i znanstvenik
Miho Klaić, hrv. preporodni političar
Luko Paljetak, pjesnik
Vlaho Paljetak, pjesnik, šansonijer i skladatelj
Đelo Jusić, skladatelj i dirigent
Ibrica Jusić, kantautor
Petar Kriste, političar
Josip Ivanović, kipar
Tereza Kesovija, pjevačica

Gradovi pobratimi/prijatelji/suradnici
Bad Homburg (Njemačka), od 2002.
Helsingborg (Švedska), od 1998.
Graz (Austrija), od 1994.
Vukovar (Hrvatska), od 1993.
Ravenna (Italija), od 1969.
Monterey (Kalifornija, SAD), od 2007.

 

 

DUBROVNIK

Dubrovnik (IPA: [ˈdǔ.bro̞ːʋ.nik]) (also Ragusa, official name until 1909) is a historic city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its population was 43,770 in 2001[1] down from 49,728 in 1991.[2] In 2001 the absolute majority of its citizens declared themselves as Croats with 88.39% (2001 census).

Since 1979, the historic centre of Dubrovnik has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

The prosperity of the city of Dubrovnik has always been based on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages, as the Republic of Ragusa, it became the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a remarkable level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries. Ragusa was one of the centres of the development of primarily the Croatian language and literature, home to many notable poets, playwrights, painters, mathematicians, physicists and other scholars.

Name
The modern name of the city is derived from the Slavic word "dubrava" ("forest" in English). In Croatian, the city is known as Dubrovnik and in Dalmatian, Latin, Italian, and formerly in English as Ragusa.

The Slavic toponym Dubrovnik, now assigned to the ancient city of Ragusa, comes from the name of a Slavic village tribe, the Dubrons, who were firmly established at the end of the 11th century in the oak forest on the hills, to the north of the city of Ragusa.

Pressured by hostile tribes from the interior, the Dubrons asked the Republic to grant them refuge inside the walls and they obtained the right of asylum and the residence in a marginal quarter of the city. Among themselves, the refugees named the quarter after their native-born village: Dubrovnik.

The current name was officially adopted after World War I when the city passed to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and then onto Yugoslavia.

History

From the foundation to the end of the Republic
Main article: Republic of Ragusa

Republic of Ragusa before 1808Ragusa (Raugia) was founded in the 7th century on a rocky island named Laus, which provided shelter for Latin refugees from the nearby city of Epidaurus, today's Cavtat also Ragusavecchia. Some time later a settlement of Slavic people grew at the foot of the forested Srđ hill. This settlement gives to the city its Slavic name "Dubrovnik".

The strip of wetland between Ragusa and Dubrava was reclaimed in the 12th century, unifying the city around the newly-made plaza (today Placa or Stradun). The plaza was paved in 1468 and reconstructed after the earthquake of 1667. The city was fortified and two harbours were built on each side of the isthmus.

From its establishment in the 7th century, the town was under the protection of the Byzantine Empire. After the Crusades, Ragusa/Dubrovnik came under the sovereignty of Venice (1205–1358), and by the Peace Treaty of Zara in 1358, it became part of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Between the 14th century and 1808 Ragusa ruled itself as a free state. The Republic had its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries, when its thalassocracy rivaled that of the Republic of Venice and other Italian maritime republics.

The Republic of Ragusa received its own Statutes as early as 1272, statutes which, among other things, codified Roman practice and local customs. The Statutes included prescriptions for town planning and the regulation of quarantine (for hygienic reasons). The Republic was very inventive regarding laws and institutions that were developed very early:

Medical service was introduced in 1301
The first pharmacy (still working) was opened in 1317
A refuge for old people was opened in 1347
The first quarantine hospital (Lazarete) was opened in 1377
Slave trading was abolished in 1418
The orphanage was opened in 1432
The water supply system (20 kilometers) was constructed in 1436
The city was ruled by aristocracy that formed two city councils. As usual for the time, they maintained a strict system of social classes. The republic abolished the slave trade early in the 15th century and valued liberty highly. The city successfully balanced its sovereignty between the interests of Venice and the Ottoman Empire for centuries.

The economic wealth of the Republic was partially the result of the land it developed, but especially of the seafaring trade it did. With the help of skilled diplomacy, Ragusa's merchants traveled lands freely, and on the sea the city had a huge fleet of merchant ships (argosy) that traveled all over the world. From these travels they founded some settlements, from India to America, and brought parts of their culture and vegetation home with them. One of the keys to success was not conquering, but trading and sailing under a white flag with the word freedom (Latin: Libertas) prominently featured on it. That flag was adopted when slave trading was abolished in 1418.

Many Conversos (Marranos) — Jews from Spain and Portugal — were attracted to the city. In May, 1544, a ship landed there filled exclusively with Portuguese refugees, as Balthasar de Faria reported to King John. During this time there worked in the city one of the most famous cannon and bell founders of his time: Ivan Rabljanin (Magister Johannes Baptista Arbensis de la Tolle).

The Republic gradually declined after a crisis of Mediterranean shipping — and especially a catastrophic earthquake in 1667 that killed over 5000 citizens, including the Rector, leveling most of the public buildings — ruined the well-being of the Republic. In 1699 the Republic sold two patches of its territory to the Ottomans in order to avoid terrestrial borderline, with advancing Venetian forces.

In 1806 the city surrendered to French forces, as that was the only way to cut a month's long siege by the Russian-Montenegrin fleets (during which 3000 cannon balls fell on the city). At first Napoleon demanded only free passage for his troops, promising not to occupy the territory and stressing that the French were friends of the Ragusans. Later, however, French forces blockaded the harbours, forcing the government to give in and let French troops enter the city. On this day, all flags and coats of arms above the city walls were painted black as a sign of grief. In 1808, Marshal Marmont abolished the republic and integrated its territory into the Illyrian provinces.

Austrian rule
When the Habsburg Empire gained these provinces after the 1815 Congress of Vienna, the new imperial authorities installed a bureaucratic administration, which retained the essential framework of the Italian-speaking system. It introduced a series of modifications intended to centralize, albeit slowly, the bureaucratic, tax, religious, educational, and trade structures. Unfortunately for the local residents, these centralization strategies, which were intended to stimulate the economy, largely failed. And once the personal, political and economic trauma of the Napoleonic Wars had been overcome, new movements began to form in the region, calling for a political reorganization of the Adriatic along national lines.

The combination of these two forces—a flawed Habsburg administrative system and new national movements claiming ethnicity as the founding block towards a community—created a particularly perplexing problem; for Dalmatia was a province ruled by the German-speaking, centralizing Habsburg monarchy, with Italian-speaking elites that dominated a general population consisting of a Croatian, Catholic Slav majority and strong Serb Orthodox minority. Though always an unreliable estimate[citation needed], census takers in 1846 counted 16,000 Italians, 320,000 Croatians and 80,000 Serbs.

In 1815 the former Ragusan Government, i.e. its noble assembly, met for the last time in the ljetnikovac in Mokošica. Once again heavy efforts were undertaken to reestablish the Republic however this time it was all in vain. After the fall of the Republic most of the aristocracy died out and emigrated overseas. Others were recognized by the Austrian Empire.

In 1848, the Croatian Assembly (Sabor) published the People's Requests in which they requested among other things the abolition of serfdom and the unification of Dalmatia with the rest of Croatian lands (primarily with Austro-Hungarian Kingdom of Croatia). The Dubrovnik municipality was the most outspoken of all the Dalmatian communes in its support for unification with Croatia. A letter was sent to Zagreb with pledges to work for this idea. In 1849, Dubrovnik continued to lead the Dalmatian cities in the struggle for unification. A large-scale campaign was launched in the local paper L'Avvenire (The Future) based on a clearly formulated programme: the federal system for the Habsburg territories, the inclusion of Dalmatia into united Croatia and the Slavic brotherhood.

In the same year, the first issue of the Dubrovnik almanac appeared, Flower of the National Literature (Dubrovnik, cvijet narodnog knjizevstva), in which Petar Preradović published his noted poem "To Dubrovnik". This and other literary and journalistic texts, which continued to be published, contributed to the awakening of the national consciousness reflected in efforts to introduce the Croatian language into schools and offices, and to promote Croatian books. The Emperor Franz Joseph brought the so-called Imposed Constitution which prohibited the unification of Dalmatia and Croatia and also any further political activity with this end in view. The political struggle of Dubrovnik to be united with Croatia, which was intense throughout 1848 and 1849, did not succeed at that time.

In 1861 the Dalmatian Assembly met for the first time, with representatives from Ragusa. Representatives of Cattaro (now Kotor) came to join the struggle for unification with Croatia. The citizens of Ragusa gave them a festive welcome, flying Croatian flags from the ramparts, and exhibiting the slogan: Ragusa with Cattaro. The people of Cattaro elected a delegation to go to Vienna; Ragusa nominated Niko Pucic. Niko Pucic went to Vienna to demand not only the unification of Dalmatia with Croatia, but also the unification of all Croatian territories under one common Assembly.

In 1893, the minister of the city, the Baron Francesco Ghetaldi-Gondola, opened the monument for Ivan Gundulić in Piazza Gundulić (Gondola).

Yugoslavia (1921–1991)
With the fall of Austria-Hungary in 1918, the city was incorporated into the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). The city's name was officially changed from Ragusa into Dubrovnik.

In World War II, Dubrovnik became part of the Independent State of Croatia, even if occupied by the Italian army first, and the by the German army after September 1943. In October 1944 Tito's partisans entered in Dubrovnik, that became consequently part of the Communist Yugoslavia. Soon after their arrival into the city, the Partisans sentenced approximately 78 citizens to death without trial, including a Catholic priest.[3]

The breakdown of Yugoslavia
Main article: Siege of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik Shelling (black dots) 1991 to 1992.In 1991 Croatia and Slovenia, which at that time were republics within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, declared their independence. In that event, the Socialist Republic of Croatia was renamed the Republic of Croatia.

Despite the demilitarization of the old town early in the 1970s in an attempt to prevent it from ever becoming a casualty of war, following Croatia's independence in 1991, the Serbian-Montenegrin remains of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) attacked the city.

On October 1, 1991 Dubrovnik was attacked by the JNA with a siege of Dubrovnik that lasted for seven months. The heaviest artillery attack happened on December 6 with 19 people killed and 60 wounded. Total casualties in the conflict according to the Croatian Red Cross were 114 killed civilians, among them the celebrated poet Milan Milisić. In May 1992 the Croatian Army liberated Dubrovnik and its surroundings, but the danger of JNA sudden attacks lasted for another three years.

Following the end of the war, the damage caused by shelling of the Old Town was repaired. Adhering to UNESCO guidelines, repairs were performed in the original style. As of 2005, most damage had been repaired. The inflicted damage can be seen on a chart near the city gate, showing all artillery hits during the siege. ICTY indictments were issued for the JNA generals and officers involved in the bombing.

The final report of the United Nations Commission of Experts says:

"Due to the ideal observation capacity that the JNA enjoyed through its command of the high ground, the air, and the sea, it seems clear that (at best) the JNA was indifferent to the civilian casualties it caused or (at worst) it deliberately and systematically targeted civilians and civilian objects throughout this period."

General Pavle Strugar, who was coordinating the attack on the city, was sentenced to an eight year prison term by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for his role in the attack of the city.

The 1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash killed everyone on a United States Air Force jet with VIP passengers.

Video of the attack on Dubrovnik

[edit] Dubrovnik today
Old City of Dubrovnik*
UNESCO World Heritage Site

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

State Party Croatia
Type Cultural
Criteria i, iii, iv
Reference 95
Region† Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 1979 (3rd Session)
Extensions 1994
Endangered 1991-1998
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
† Region as classified by UNESCO.
Today Dubrovnik is a tranquil cultural and tourist centre hosting many musical, art and theater events year round. The annual Dubrovnik Summer Festival is a cultural event when keys of the city are given to artists who entertain Dubrovnik's population and their guests for entire month with live plays, concerts, and games.

Ivan Gundulić (Giovanni Gondola), a 17th century Croatian writer, predicted the downfall of the great Turkish Empire in his great poem Osman. He wrote these immortal verses that are performed on every opening of the world famous Dubrovnik Summer Festival:

O, beautiful liberty, dear and sweet,
Thou heavenly gift where riches all meet,
Actual source of our glory of these hours,
The sole adornment of this grove of ours,
All silver, all gold, and our lives so dear,
Cannot recompense thy beauty so clear.

With these verses Dubrovnik major invites actors and poems to enter through main gates inside city stone walls. As a young actor Goran Višnjić played Hamlet at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. He was noticed and approved by the public at the very start of his career. The Dubrovnik Summer Festival has been awarded its first Gold International Trophy for Quality (2007) by the Editorial Office in collaboration with the Trade Leaders Club.

February 3 is the feast of Sveti Vlaho (Saint Blaise), who is the city's patron saint. Every year the city of Dubrovnik celebrates the holiday with Mass, parades, and festivities that last for several days.

Dubrovnik and its surroundings with numerous islands have a lot to offer in touristic activities for younger generations. Also popular are climbing on steep hills, hiking through the Mediterranean nature, paddling and swimming in clean transparent sea part of the fun in Dubrovnik.

New historical discoveries say that the usual misconception of Dubrovnik coming to be as joining of Laus island and Slav settlement of Dubrovnik is disputed by the fact that there was no island of Laus, only a peninsula, and it seems that there was a port on its location dating back to ancient history (thought to be the lost port of Heraclea).[citation needed]

Heritage
The patron saint of the city is Sveti Vlaho (Saint Blaise), whose statues are seen around the city. He has an importance similar to that of St. Mark the Evangelist to Venice. The city's cathedral is named after Saint Blaise. The city boasts of many old buildings, such as the Arboretum Trsteno, the oldest arboretum in the world, dating back to before 1492. Also, the third oldest European pharmacy is located in the city, which dates back to 1317 (and is the only one still in operation today). It is located at Little Brothers church in Dubrovnik.

In history, many Conversos (Marranos) were attracted to Dubrovnik, formerly a considerable seaport. In May, 1544, a ship landed there filled exclusively with Portuguese refugees, as Balthasar de Faria reported to King John. Another admirer of Dubrovnik, George Bernard Shaw, visited the city in 1929 and said: "If you want to see heaven on earth, come to Dubrovnik." This sentence is commonly used by tourist guides to describe the city.

In the bay of Dubrovnik is the 72-hectare wooded island of Lokrum, where according to legend, Richard the Lionheart was cast ashore after being shipwrecked in 1192. The island includes a fortress, botanical garden, monastery and naturist beach.

Dubrovnik has also been mentioned in popular film and theater. In the film Rosemary's Baby, Roman Castevet, the leader of the witch coven, is falsely said to be in Dubrovnik, leading Rosemary to exclaim on his presence, "You're in Dubrovnik, I can't hear you." The 12th season of The Amazing Race, the remaining contestants went to the city of Dubrovnik.

Important monuments
Few of Dubrovnik's Renaissance buildings survived the earthquake of 1667 but fortunately enough remain to give an idea of the city's remarkable architectural heritage. The finest Renaissance highlight is the Sponza Palace which dates from the 16th century and is currently used to house the National Archives. The Rectors Palace is a Gothic-Renaissance structure that displays finely-carved capitals and an ornate staircase. It now houses a museum. The St Saviour Church is another fine remnant of the Renaissance period, next to the much-visited Franciscan Monastery. Over the entrance is a sculpture of the Pieta that dates from the late-Gothic period but the best part of the monastery is the Cloister with a splendid colonnade of octagonal columns.

Dubrovnik's most beloved church is St Blaise's church, built in the 18th century in honor of Dubrovnik's patron saint. Dubrovnik's baroque Cathedral was built in the 18th century and houses an impressive Treasury with relics of Saint Blaise. Dubrovnik's Dominican Monastery resembles a fortress on the outside but the interior contains an art museum and a Gothic-Romanesque church.

Perhaps the most striking feature of Dubrovnik is its walls that run 2km around the city. The walls run from four to six metres thick on the landward side but are much thinner on the seaward side. The system of turrets and towers were intended to protect the vulnerable city but now make one of the most picturesque sights in the Adriatic.[6]

Transport
Dubrovnik has an international airport of its own. The airport is located approximately 20km (12.5 mi) from Dubrovnik city center, near Čilipi. Buses connect the airport with the Dubrovnik bus station. In addition, a network of modern, local buses connects all Dubrovnik neighborhoods running frequently from dawn to midnight.

Education
Dubrovnik has a number of educational institutions. These include the University of Dubrovnik, a Nautical College, a Tourist College, a University Centre for Postgraduate Studies of the University of Zagreb, American College of Management and Technology, and an Institute of History of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Climate
The climate along the Dubrovnik Region is a typical Mediterranean one, with mild, rainy winters and hot and dry summers. However, it is perhaps more unique than other Mediterranean climates because of the unusual winds and frequency of thunderstorms. The Bora wind blows uncomfortably cold gusts down the Adriatic coast between October and April, and thundery conditions are common all the year round, even in summer, when they interrupt the warm, sunny days. The air temperatures can slightly vary, depending on the area or region. Typically, in July and August daytime maximum temperatures reach 29°c, and at night drop to around 21°c. More comfortable, perhaps, is the climate in Spring and Autumn when maximum temperatures are typically between 20°c and 28°c. During winter the coldest temperatures are recorded in the northern Adriatic with temperatures dropping sometimes below zero, while the southern regions of the Adriatic coast generally remain above zero, although this can change when the Bora wind blows.

Air temperature

average annual 16.4°C (61.5°F)
average of coldest period (January) 9 °C (48.2 °F)
average of warmest period (August) 24.9 °C (76.8 °F)
Sea temperature

average May – September: 17.9 °C - 23.8 °C (64.2 °F - 74.8 °F)
Salinity

approximately 38 ‰ (parts per thousand)
Precipitation

average annual: 1,020.8 mm
average annual rain days: 109.2
Sunshine

average annual: 2629 h
average daily hours: 7.2 h

Notable people from Dubrovnik
Marin Držić (Marino Darsa) (1508-1567), Croatian playwright and prose writer
Cvijeta Zuzorić (c. 1552 - c. 1600), poetess
Dinko Zlatarić (1558-1613), poet and translator
Marino Ghetaldi (1568–1626), scientist
Ivan Gundulić (Giovanni Gondola) (1589-1638) poet
Roger Joseph Boscovich (1711-1787), scientist, diplomat and poet
Biagio Ghetaldi (1788-1872), politician, noble, poet
Niko Pucić (Nicola Pozza) (1820-1883) - politician and nobleman
Medo Pucić (Orsato Pozza) (1821-1882) - writer, politician and nobleman
Federico Seismit-Doda (1825-1893), Italian politician
Francesco Ghetaldi-Gondola (Baron Frano Gondola) (1833-1899) - soldier, statesman, nobleman, Knight of Malta
Pero Budmani (1835-1914), linguist
Vlaho Bukovac (Biagio Faggioni) (1855-1922), painter
Ivo Vojnović (1857-1929), writer
Antun Fabris (1864-1904), journalist and politician
Frano Supilo (1870-1917), politician and journalist
Benito Bersa (1873-1934), musician
Eduard Miloslavić (1884-1952), scientist
Vlaho Paljetak (1893-1944), singer and composer
Branko Bauer (born 1921), film director
Ottavio Missoni (born 1921), Italian fashion designer
Marino "Nono" de Bona (1924-1994), World War II survivor who led an immigration wave to Lima, Peru
Miše Martinović (born 1926), actor
Tereza Kesovija (born 1938), singer
Đelo Jusić (born 1939), singer and composer
Luko Paljetak (born 1943), writer
Frano Lasić (born 1954), actor
Perica Martinović (born 1955), actress
Božo Vuletić (born 1958), waterpolo player, Olympic gold medalist
Goran Sukno (born 1959), waterpolo player, Olympic gold medalist
Veselin Đuho (born 1960), waterpolo player and coach, double Olympic gold medalist
Doris Šarić-Kukuljica (born 1960), actress
Josip Ivanović (born 1961), sculptor
Marija Nemčić (born 1962), journalist
Niko Pulić (born 1963), race driver
Sanja Jovanović (born 1986), Olympic swimmer

Sister cities
Graz, Austria, since 1994.
Bad Homburg, Germany, since 2002.
Helsingborg, Sweden, since 1998.
Vukovar, Croatia, since 1993.
Ravenna, Italy, since 1969.
Monterey, California, USA, since 2007.