Metkovic
Metkovic is a Croatian town on the banks of the river Neretva, 20 km far from the sea. It is a part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva District. It was first time mentioned in a document dating back to 1422.
Translation of the oldest known historical document mentioning Metkovic:
On 17.01.1422, Sir Mato Getaldic in front of the noble and wise gentleman the Dubrovnik Elected Duke, Sir Vlaho Sorgo, complained against Pero Primic and Stanko Sladenovic, the customs officers from the Neretva, because they took from him, Sir Mato, due to smuggling as the very customs officers quote, one boat with the complete equipment and on top of it 3 barrels of wine, 30 big perpers, 3 bags of oats, one rough blanket, 3 and half perpers.
All of the aforesaid was taken from Sir Mato by the people at the Neretva river by Metkovic.
Vukos the boat patron
Dragisa his sailor
Pribil Kutelaric
Antoje Radovcic
Sisa Kopitovic
The Dubrovnik Duke with his council to our respected Stanko Sladinovic.
The Stanko`s complaint was recorded in the book of the outside complaints on 30.01.1422.
Very likely the settlement was founded by farmers and cattle breeders. As such it did not have any significance up to the eighteenth century. After 1716. when the Venetians destroyed Gabela (Drijeva), left it and founded a new Neretva port in Unka, Metkovic, the settlement got more importance. Then Venetia and Turkey drew their border. The border on the Neretva was moved 4 km downstream. During the eighteenth century, under the Venetian rule, the settlement was developing gradually. Farming and cattle breeding were still the main occupation of the people.
After demise of the Venetian Republic (in 1797) for a short time it was under the Austrian rule, but without any change. Durine their short reign in Dalmatia (from 1806 to 1813) the French induced in the Metkovic development. Owing to the Napoleon road it became a major crossroads and the municipality centre.
During the second Austrian that is Austro-Hungarian reign Metkovic got a bigger role. First in 1823 it got the Port Office, the first state institution there. In 1845 a public school was opened, and 4 years later the post office was opened too.
From the middle of the nineteenth century Metkovic started developing faster. So a farmers and cattle breeders settlement developed into a small town with trade, craft, innkeeping and other activities. It became an administrative, court and economic centre of the Neretva valley. By construction of macadam roads Mostar-Metkovic (in 1865) and Mostar-Sarajevo (in 1868) import and export through the port which was moved to Postruzje was improved.
Fot the political development of this town the victory of the People Party against the Autonomous Party at the municipality elections in 1870 was quite essential. It induced further awakening of the national awareness, introduction of Croatian instead of Italian into public life, founding of the institutions and associations with the national characteristics, for example the Croatian National Reading Room in 1873. The same year the Farmers Cooperative was founded, among the first ones in Dalmatia. The First Insurance Bank Slovenia from Ljubljana opened its office. After 1878, the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosna and Hercegovina, there was a strong grow of trade in Metkovic. The swamps were reclaimed, and from 1881 to 1889 the Neretva was regulated for traffic. In the meantime the railroad Metkovic-Mostar was opened in 1885 and Mostar-Sarajevo in 1891. Thus Metkovic got a bigger importance. In 1890 the Hotel Austria was built, among the first ones in Dalmatia. In 1895 a steel bridge was built across the river. Since then a faster development ensued at the right bank. After opening of the narrow gauge railroad Gabela-Uskopje-Gruz and Uskopje-Zelenika in 1901, the Port of Metkovic slowly started losing its former importance. During the First World War the whole economic and social life in Metkovic stagnated. From 1918 to 1939 Metkovic mainly had the similar problems as in a previous period. The whole economic life is focussed onto the Port, the Tobacco Station, well organized trade, craft, innkeeping etc.
links:
metkovic.hr
restaurant ·ADRIA·
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metkovic
