ABOUT THE INTERNED AND BURIED CIVILIANS FROM THE SRIJEM REGION IN VARAŽDIN DURING 1915 AND 1916

Abstract

With the onset of the first war year of the Great War, a large number of the wounded, prisoners and citizens of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy arrived in Varaždin, some of whom were forcibly moved from their homes and interned in the City and County. The term interned civilians from the Srijem region refers mostly to Serbs, while some cases in Varaždin show that the Roma population was also present in small percentage. In this case, they were described by the local press as the Serbian traitors, as part of the propaganda, because the authorities doubted their loyalty to the Dual Monarchy. Their life in Varaždin was arranged. They had a set daily allowance, working hours, food and lodging, and procured supplies from local dealers. But that was rarely respected. Many of them died becasue of total exhaustion or illness. All their bills were paid by the Government Commissioner for the County of Varaždin and the City of Varaždin Stjepan pl. Belošević. This shows how they were robbed and financially destroyed. In the meantime, some of the civilians fell ill. It is thanks to the preserved documents from the city hospitium that we know their identity.

This paper analyzes the data for 131 ill interned civilians from the Srijem region who were treated in Varaždin in 1915 and 1916. In 90 percent of cases, these were men who mostly received treatment  for bronchitis, gastritis, and myocarditis. On a positive note, 55 percent of them were healed, 12 percent left untreated, and nine percent died. Improved health was noted for 24 percent of them. Most civilians from Srijem lived before the internment in Surčin (27 people), Dobanovci (20 people), Batajnica and Ugrinovci (15 people). For the most part, they were farmers, and three women were reported to be of Roma ethnic background. The most common surname mentioned wass Nikolić (13 times), Vladisavljević and Jovanović (6 times).

The interned civilians from the Srijem region who died in Varaždin were buried in the city cemetery. According to the data from the Book of the Dead (1903-1918), 58 people were buried. Most died from tuberculosis, heart disease, and typhoid, and the time of death was mostly associated with the winter months. Exhaustion, poor clothing or footwear, and poor accommodation conditions may be the reasons. Regarding their age, most died between the ages of 50 and 59 (26 percent) and between 60 and 69 (21 percent). Deaths data indicate where they were located at the time of death - 84 percent were in Varaždin. Archival records indicate also the homeland of the interned civilians from the Srijem region buried in Varaždin – they were mostly from Dobanovci (13), Surčin (9), Batajnica (8), Petrovčić (7) and Šašinci (5). Other places are mentioned once or twice.

At the end it should be pointed out that the total number of the interned civilians from the Srijem region in the city of Varaždin during the First World War can only be speculated. Historical sources have confirmed that medical care was taken during the internment. After the Austro-Hungarian occupation of the Kingdom of Serbia in 1916, the interned civilians from the Srijem region were released home. As for the dead and their graves, there is no sign today suggesting that the interned Srijem civilians were buried in the Varaždin cemetery in 1915 and 1916.