A Comparison of Demographic Diversity of the Parishes Prvačina, Cerknica and Heiligenkreuz am Waasen Between 1760 and 1860

Korošec, Elektra Katarina (author), Štuhec, Marko (mentor), Teibenbacher, Peter (comentor)

The historical events of the 18th and 19th centuries had a major impact on Cerknica, Prvačina and Heiligenkreuz am Waasen, influencing their demographic composition. Local, regional and national policies, combined with epidemics such as influenza, smallpox and cholera, shape the demographic landscape. Overall, I have found that 100 years of data is not enough to draw general conclusions about demographic trends, especially given that the timeframe coincides with the demographic transition process. The survey provides an initial outline of historical demographic patterns, but extending the timeframe, while also narrowing the study area, would allow for a deeper insight into the historical problem at hand. When I compared the demographic diversity related to births, I found that the number of baptisms is generally steady, even in slow but steady growth in the case of Prvačina and Heiligenkreuz am Waasen. This corresponds to the process of modernisation in the Austrian Empire: it has not been as intense as one might expect, but it is certainly present - and the demographic transition is inseparable from it. The number of baptisms is therefore steadily increasing, and the number of deaths is also slowly but steadily decreasing. These results thus confirm the theory of demographic transition. All three cities studied have been affected by major epidemics, in particular influenza, measles and cholera. While these diseases have followed broader European trends, each region has maintained its own demographic dynamics. Diseases that were common between 1750 and 1850, such as diarrhoea, dysentery, scarlet fever and tuberculosis, were influenced by the hygiene and nutritional standards of the Habsburg Empire during this period. I did not face any major challenges when analysing the data relating to the number of deaths. At the end of the 18th century, the cause of death began to be recorded in parish registers, which made interpretation more straightforward. I can divide my findings into two-time blocks: the first before 1800, when we talk about the prevalence of measles and influenza, and the second after the 19th century, when the measles and cholera epidemics began. The parish registers also show a high mortality rate due to diseases such as diarrhoea, colic, dysentery, scarlet fever and convulsions. In some areas, the incidence of certain diseases was higher. For example, asthma was common in Cerknica, dropsy and tuberculosis in Prvačina, gangrene and rheumatism in Heiligenkreuz am Waasen. These differences can largely be attributed to the local diet and geographical location.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: historical demography, local history, demographic trends, baptism, death
• Work type: Bachelor thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2024
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-163579
• Publication date in RUL: 09.10.2024

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Primerjava demografske pestrosti župnij Prvačina, Cerknica in Heiligenkreuz am Waasen med letoma 1760 in 1860

Abstract

Zgodovinski dogodki iz 18. in 19. stoletja imajo velik vpliv na te kraje in vplivajo na njihovo demografsko sestavo. Lokalna, regionalna in državna politika v povezavi z epidemijami, kot so gripa, norice in kolera, oblikujejo demografsko pokrajino. Na splošno sem ugotovila, da 100 let podatkov ni dovolj za oblikovanje splošnih zaključkov o demografskih trendih, sploh glede na to da časovni okvir ravno sovpada s procesom demografske tranzicije. Raziskava omogoča začetni oris zgodovinskih demografskih vzorcev, vendar bi podaljšanje časovnega okvira, hkrati pa tudi zoženje preučevanega območja, omogočilo globlji vpogled v dotičen zgodovinski problem. Ko sem primerjala demografsko raznolikost povezano z rojstvi, sem ugotovila da je število krstov na splošno enakomerno, v primeru Prvačine in Heiligenkreuz am Waasen celo v počasni, a stalni rasti. To ustreza procesu modernizacije v avstrijskem cesarstvu: ta proces ni bil tako intenziven kot bi lahko pričakovali, vendar je vsekakor prisoten – s tem pa tudi neločljivo povezana demografska tranzicija. Zato število krstov stalno narašča, prav tako število umrlih počasi, a stalno upada. Ti rezultati tako potrjujejo teorijo demografske tranzicije. Na vsa tri preučevana mesta so vplivale velike epidemije, zlasti gripe, ošpic in kolere. Medtem ko so te bolezni sledile širšim evropskim trendom, je vsaka regija ohranila svojo lastno demografsko dinamiko. Na bolezni, ki so bile pogoste med letoma 1750 in 1850, kot so driska, dizenterija, škrlatinka in tuberkuloza, so vplivali higienski in prehranski standardi habsburškega cesarstva v tem obdobju. Pri analizi podatkov, povezanih s številom smrti, se nisem soočila z večjimi izzivi. Ob koncu 18. stoletja so v župnijske knjige namreč začeli zapisovati vzrok smrti, zaradi česar je bila razlaga bolj preprosta. Svoje ugotovitve lahko razdelim v dva časovna bloka: prvega pred letom 1800, ko govorimo o prevladi ošpic in grip in drugega po 19. stoletju, ko nastopijo epidemije ošpic in kolere. V župnijskih knjigah je razvidna tudi visoka umrljivost zaradi bolezni, kot so driska, kolike, dizenterija, škrlatinka in krči. Na nekaterih območjih je bila pogostejša pojavnost določenih bolezni. V Cerknici je bila na primer pogosta astma, v Prvačini vodenica in tuberkuloza, v Heiligenkreuzu am Waasen pa gangrena in revmatizem. Te razlike je mogoče v veliki meri pripisati lokalni prehrani in geografski legi.

• Keywords: historična demografija, lokalna zgodovina, demografski trendi, krst, smrt