The Keeper of the Slavonian Secret

to the other. The locals lived in some dozen hamlets surrounded by marshes. Most of them probably never crossed paths with invaders, or showed much interest in the grand political schemes, like people nowadays do.

The mysterious Kostroman

From what we know, the medieval estate of Babina Greda (or, in earlier rendering, Babagerenda) had two bases. Babina Greda, One Man’s Renaissance is the first of the two, is hale and hearty to Another Man’s War the present day. The other one, however, is veiled in mystery. The Kostroman Fort Let the time-machine take us some five (from the Latin Castrum Romanum) lay 3.5 centuries into the past. Columbus has kilometres south of Babagerenda. During just returned from the voyage that will the Roman times, it served as a control change the world. DaVinci is on the brink point for the traffic routes along the plains of his most prolific years. Printing presses of the Sava and Bosna Rivers. It was re- are spreading throughout Europe. At the newed in the Middle Ages, but historical same time, the southern border of the sources mention it only once – as Kosz- Hungarian Empire, which Slavonia is a part tormánszentdienes. (Ah, the lovely Hungar- of, is dangerously unsteady. The Ottoman ian language!) There was a Saint Dionysus Empire (popularly known as Turkey) is Church close to the fort, and the entire getting closer by the day. When, in 1512, complex might have served as a strong- defences fall on the southern bank of hold from which the official Church curbed the Sava, the land around Babina Greda the influence of heretics from the neigh- is counted among the most outlying bouring Bosnia. No heroic feats were un- territories. Still, let’s not panic more than dertaken here either during the Ottoman the people who lived in such times. It was war, or later, when its significance began a period with neither strictly defined state to fade. In the 18th century, Austrian gov- borders, nor battles fought from one house ernment used it as a frontier quarantine.

1 Kostroman spent the last 150 years of its expanded the Habsburg Empire (Austria). existence pursuing a career in construc- The newly won area was equal in size to tion business. In the 1830s, people began the modern-day Hungary and Croatia. The making houses out of brick and stone, war tide also fashioned Slavonia with its and ruins became an accessible source of current borders. More difficult than draw- building material. The final blow was dealt ing borders, however, was carving out the by an excavator with a local hotshot (baja) modern Slavonian. The ravaged lands had behind the steering wheel, levelling what to be re-settled first. Most immigrants still remained of Kostroman. arrived from Bosnia. These people were called Šokci, which is a contemporary Hey, Mr. Sultan! word for “ancient” (vikovični) Slavonians – those who had moved to Slavonia prior to When compared to the Middle Ages, the life the late 19th and 20th century. In early 18th of a peasant from Babina Greda changed century, Babina Greda was already a popu- little during the Ottoman rule (1536/7 to lous village, and mostly native, “where sev- 1691). The taxes which he had used to pay eral old clans had branched out into fam- to the landowner were now redirected to ilies”. (S. Pavičić) Moreover, when Austria the sipahi and the Sultan. He remained temporarily seized the Bosnian Posavina in Catholic, though several Muslim families 1718, many people from Babina Greda and probably moved into the neighbourhood, its vicinity emigrated to Bosnia. This was and some of the locals might have con- how villages of Tolisa, Domaljevac, Donja verted to Islam, deciding to advance their Mahala and others were repopulated. career. The Eastern influence was mostly felt in the dialect, which adopted words “Schengen” before “Schengen” like sokak (street), divan (sofa), avlija (yard), mala (from mahala, neighbourhood), etc. The 18th century marked the beginning of As in the late medieval period, the Sava an era which would leave a deep mark on River was still not considered a border. Babina Greda. In the liberated area along Babina Greda was a part of the Slavonian the Sava River, the Habsburgs established Posavina which formed a cultural and eco- Teutsche Militär-Staat, or Gräntze – the nomic unit with the lands on the opposite, Military Border or the Frontier. Its original Bosnian bank. Prominence of this unity function was to guard the unstable border would rise in the most turbulent period of with the Ottoman Empire. From Jasenovac Slavonian history, between the 17th and 18th in the west to Srijemska Rača in the east, a centuries. string of guard stations (čardaci) were set up, along with garrisoned forts of varying The Birth of Slavonia sizes. (The largest of these was the Brod Fort) Some 140 years before the telegraph When you stand under Grandma Keda’s and 180 years before the telephone, the Lime Tree, you are in the presence of the Slavonian (or, Habsburg) border upheld a only living being in Babina Greda which was functional system which could alarm gar- there in the early autumn of 1683, when risons along 200 kilometres in 20 minutes the Christian army defeated the Ottomans by a single shot fired. After a while, the in the Battle of Vienna. The victory start- Military Frontier became a militarized belt ed an avalanche which, through a series of which controlled the flow of people and battles known as the Great Turkish War, goods. (Remember the role of Kostroman

2 in the 18th century?) At one time, its over- Military Frontier was abolished in 1881, the all length, from the Adriatic to the Car- village welcomed modernization and capi- pathians, spanned nearly 1,800 kilometres! talism. Since Babina Greda was among the Today the only remaining guard station largest villages, it used its abundant for- (čardak) in Croatia is located near Babina ests and pastures to mass produce pigs Greda, in Županja. and cattle. Herding and grazing were run from stanovi or salaši, idyllic seasonal es- The Viennese Style tates outside villages proper. The cattle were sold in herds to merchants, who then In exchange for not belonging to the class took them to large cities of Austria-Hun- of serfs (paori), the frontiersmen were gary (Budapest, Vienna, Sopron and oth- obliged to serve in the military. Since ers). The money earned in this way was mid-18th century, they both guarded the invested in the modernization of agricul- Posavina border and took part in Austrian ture, and the construction of houses and wars throughout Europe. As professional estates, but also in culture and social life. soldiers, each part of their lives was con- It was in the late 19th and early 20th century trolled by the military government. Ev- that Slavonia first gained the image which eryday life on the frontier was organized has remained popular to the present day: in regiments or companies (Ger. Compag- opulent folk costumes with gold embroi- nie). Babina Greda was the headquarters of dery and ducats, large gatherings (sijela), the Sixth Company in the Brod Regiment. and tamburitza ensembles. It comes as no The silver lining of living on command (po surprise that inhabitants of other, poorer zapovidi) was that the military government parts of Croatia considered Slavonia the tried to enhance the lives of frontiersmen land in which “fences are held together by encouraging the development of educa- with sausages, and strengthened by bread”. tion, health care and church organization. In short, it was a local version of the Amer- They also built dams and roads, and im- ican dream. plemented planned organization of villag- es along the thoroughfares (the so-called To read, sing, or to paint? ušoravanje). On the other hand, most nov- elties were introduced using force, under If you dislike books and school desks, just threats of punishment, and only to the ex- visit Babina Greda and be on your way tent to which they did not interfere with to an A grade! For 250 years, this place the peasant-military lifestyle. The military has inspired enlightened individuals. government also kept trying to uproot the This is where Matija Antun Relković, the customs which are at the heart of mod- most famous proponent of the Enlight- ern-day Slavonia. Many a frontiersman was enment in 18th-century Slavonia, earned imprisoned or flogged because he partic- his retirement. In 1818, Mijat Stojanović, ipated in a large wedding, a circle dance an educational pioneer in Croatia, was (kolo), a gathering (sijelo), or was lounging also born in Babina Greda. Our village is around (divan). probably the only one in Croatia with less pubs than reading-rooms. Four were es- The Slavonian Dream tablished over just 18 years, between 1907 and 1935, and two afterwards, bringing The force of change, just like the spirit of the total number to six, which are still in Slavonia, is difficult to rein in. When the function.

3 The secret to straight-A students of Babi- late 18th century. About 1780, Babina Gre- na Greda might lie in the combination of da was among the few villages along the the written and the sung word. In 1909, a frontier with a stud farm. However, in this law student by the name of Matija Bačić period, as well as in the 19th century, hors- established the Zvonimir Music Society. es were primarily used for transport, while Two years later, a medical student, Šima breeding purity was not as important. More Stojanović, established the Stojanović So- professional horse breeding in Babina Gre- ciety. In late 1950s, the two ensembles da began in 1936, when the first purebred joined together to form a Society for Arts Lipizzaner stud was brought from a horse and Culture, KUD Mijat Stojanović. They farm in Kutjevo. In 1942, the Horse Breed- reached their nationally recognized artis- ing Association was established, and has tic peak in the 1960s. Nowadays, we heart- been in operation ever since. The horses ily recommend the vocal groups of the of Babina Greda are no longer labour ani- Mijat Stojanović Society, and the Šokadija mals, but dapper thoroughbreds that sym- Association. If you want to hear what Sla- bolize the wealth and tradition which peo- vonian songs sounded like before the tam- ple have created by enriching the fertile buritza ensembles, these girls and lads will plain for centuries. The splendour of these be a music to your ears. If you are more noble inhabitants of Babina Greda is best of a visual type, go and visit ethno-collec- enjoyed during events such as Konji bijelci tion and a gallery of Ana Verić (1928-2017), (The White Horses) or Pokladni jahači (The nationally acknowledged Naïve artist from Carnival Riders). Babina Greda.

The White Horses

While Mick Jagger could not be dragged away by wild horses, we would give every- thing for our white horses! Since the very beginning, horses were indispensable in controlling the vast areas along the Impe- rial border. Stronger incentives for horse breeding in military Slavonia began in the

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