NEW BOOK
A Guide and Index
to
Croatian Coats of Arms
By
Adam S. Eterovich
The
Index covers over 7000 Croatian family names and variations of names. Each name
is referenced with the source of grant. Some names were never formally listed
and were found on grave stones, house doors or on church floors. Names were
recorded in the Hungarian, Austro-German, Venetian-Italian and Croatian
languages. The Croatian language was formalized in 1848; most Croatian nobility
were granted prior to 1848 and names appear corrupted with many variations.
Dalmatian and Istrian nobility used two forms of their names in some cases,
such as Mladinic-Mladineo or Capogrosso-Glavinic. The Italian alphabet does not
have a K, Kovacevic became Covacevich; Basanic-Bassanich. Croatian nobility
grants and records were found from Vienna in Austria to Budapest, Hungary and
Venice in Italy. Croatian nobility records can be found in all archival centers
in Croatia and in personal family archives.
Many more names will be found with further research. No Guide or Index
exists to Croatian coat of arms or heraldry. Bibliography included.
Croatia
Proper, Slavonia, Dalmatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Vojvodina
all had the same source or influence of grants of nobility. Croatia was ruled and
influenced by Austria, Hungary, Turkey and Venice and her nobility can be best
illustrated as follows: 0ld Croatian hereditary nobility; Austrian-Hungarian
grants; Venetian grants to Dalmatian nobility. A further detailed breakdown of
the various parts of Croatia and the years involved would be as follows:
Croatia Proper
Hereditary
nobility; Feudal nobility; List of nobility or grant of Coat of Arms-1438;
Habsburg nobility grants - 1527-1740; Austrian or Hungarian - 1740-1806; Start
of military orders or grants to Croatians on the Military Frontier; Austro-Hungarian-Croatian - 1806-1918.
Dalmatia
Old
Dalmatian nobility and those escaping from Bosnia recognized by Venice
1409-1520; Venice granted titles to those who fought the Turks and gave others
the title of Count - 1520-1718; Majority of Dalmatian arms were granted in this
period - 1718-1797; Austria occupation recognized all Venetian-Dalmatian
nobility - 1797-1806; French occupation took away some privileges-1806-1813;
Austrian occupation recognizes only 20% of Dalmatian nobility - 1814-1918.
Bosnia
Old
Croatian hereditary titles; Feudal nobility - 1377-1463; Hercegovinian nobility
to 1482. All grants of arms and heraldry stopped with the conquest of Bosnia
and Hercegovina by the Ottoman Turk.
The
original grants were lands given to the nobility under a strict feudal system.
Later Coats of Arms were granted, then finally lists were published as Nobility
Lists or Rolls of Nobility.
Titles of Nobility
Titles
of the nobility varied somewhat due to the influence of foreign rulers and the
time period involved. The titles were somewhat different in various parts of
Croatia: Old Croatian Hereditary Nobility Knezova--Princes; Velikasa--High
Nobility. Bosnian Nobility Knez -- Prince; Vojvoda--Duke; Plemic--Nobleman.
Habsburg - Austria Period Knez--Prince; Grof--Count; Barun--Baron;
Vitez--Knight; Plemic--Nobleman. Dalmatian Cities Vlastela--High Nobility; Vlastelicici--Nobility. Venice Conte--Count;
Nobile--Nobleman.
Study of Arms
The
study of Croatian coats of arms and other historic sciences on the professional
level started in Croatia in the seventeenth century, particularly with the
works by Pavao Ritter Vitezovic from Senj. The contributions have been
especially notable since the nineteenth century. Ivan Bojnicic published “Der
Adel von Kroatien und Slavonien” (The Noblemen of Croatia and Slavonia). Beside Bojnicic the most prominent expert in
this field in the 20th century was
Bartol Zmajic. He was a baron, a descendant of a reputable noble family.
He spent his whole working life of forty years in the Croatian State Archives
in Zagreb as an archivist and a senior archivist, mostly of earlier historic
records and published the first detailed insight into the development of
Croatian heraldry.
Union of Hungary with the Twelve Croatian
Clans
The
twelve chief Croatian clans, presumably descendants of the original tribes that
had taken possession of the country in the sixth or seventh centuries, were the
Kacic, Svacic, Subic, Kukara, Gusic, Cudomiric, Mogoric, or Muric,
Karinjani-Lapcani, Polecic, Lacnicic, Jamometic or Jamonstic, and Tugomiric or
Tudomiric. Croatia had no male heir. It was with the head families of these
clans that the Hungarian king entered into discussions as to the terms on which
he was to ascend the throne of the Trpimirovici. In 1102 they recognized
Koloman as their sovereign. The basic condition that the clans appear to have
laid down to the Hungarian ruler was that the Croatian nation in general should
retain full possession of Croatian territory and national property; more
particularly the twelve noble families or clans named, who ruled were confirmed
in their possession of this territory.
Turopolje Nobility
In
mid winter of 1249 the Mongols rode across the frozen Danube river, and, in
pursuance of their usual tactic of following to the death the king of any force
which dared to oppose them in the field, part of their army set out to run Bela
to earth. The Hungarian king at this time ennobled the entire community of
Turopolje near Zagreb for its services in his defense and in supplying him and
his entourage with food and other necessities. But Zagreb could not be held
against the Mongol storm and the king made for the coast with the Mongol ponies
almost on his heels. Zagreb itself was largely destroyed.
Free Communities
A
certain number of plemina (clans) and bratsva remained free. They came to
constitute free communities which operated under the general aegis of the lords
of the surrounding territories. Sometimes these communities acquired titles of
group nobility, Plemenite opcine. Often, too, they had serfs of their own.
Communities of this kind such as those of
Turopolje, Pokupje, Draganic, Domagovic, Cvetkovic, and of the Korana
region, occupied entire villages and succeeded in conserving their privileges
until 1848.
Eterovich, Adam S. A Guide and Index to Croatian
Coats of Arms. San Carlos: Ragusan Press, 2003. 70 pages. Soft Cover.
Spiral Bound. $15.00. An index and guide
to the Nobility of Croatia. Over 7000 names and variations. Adam S. Eterovich
2527 San Carlos Ave. San Carlos, California 94070 USA
croatians@aol.com
www.croatians.com
650-592-1190