LEGAL ACTIONS AGAINST CRAFTMEN IN OSIJEK AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR II

At the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and in times after its dissolution as well as in the 1940s Osijek was a strong economic center. Many developed economic entities operatad there which were important within their own industries. Besides them there were many more craft workshops operating in Osijek whose products and services met the needs of the citizens in Osijek and its surroundings. Craftsmanship in Osijek has been developing since the late 17th century, and the first craftsmen began to work soon after the liberation of Osijek from the Turkish authorities. During the 18th and 19th centurycraftsmanship was rapidly developing and the products of a number of craftsmen were sold in the famous Osijek trade fair. After the Second World War the newly established communist government carried out the confiscation of almost all of these craft workshops and thus drastically changing the position of craftsmen in Osijek. The excuse for such a doing was an alleged "economic cooperation with the occupier", i.e. during the Independent State of Croatia these craftsmen carried out their activities in a normal fashion and provided services to citizens and "enemy soldiers". By these moves of the new government the craftsmanship in Osijek was nearly destroyed and thus the tradition of craftsmanship, which had been developing in Osijek during 18th and 19th century, came to an end. The circumstances of Osijek craftsmen is going to be illustrated on the examples of several craft workshops which were confiscated after the World War II.