Conditions on the Island of Lastovo during the 19th Century

Nakon velikih ratnih previranja početkom XIX. stoljeća u Europi, Dalmacija, a s njom i otok Lastovo pripali su Austriji. To političko stanje je potrajalo do završetka Prvog svjetskog rata. U prvoj polovici stoljeća Lastovo je bilo podesterija u dubrovačkom okružju. U to vrijeme na otoku je živjelo oko 1000 stanovnika. Od javnih ustanova tu je sjedište političko-sudske preture treće klase, sjedište ubirača poreza i zdravstvenog deputata. Postojala je i Javna dobrotvornost kao karitativna ustanova. Godine 1838. otvorena je muška niža osnovna škola. U drugoj polovici stoljeća Lastovo je politička općina u sklopu kotara Korčule, gdje je bio i sud. Zauzimala je površinu od 53 km četvornih. Tu je 1869. godine živjelo 1042 stanovnika. Njihov je broj do 1910. porastao na 1417. Selo Lastovo je bilo jedino naselje na otoku, ali je nešto stanovnika živjelo i na nekim drugim mjestima. Glavno zanimanje je poljoprivreda. Otok je bio poznat po južnom voću, uzgoju vinove loze i maslina. I stočarstvo je razmjerno dobro razvijeno. Osim toga, stanovništvo se bavilo ribarstvom, posebno ljeti lovom srdela. Sedamdesetih godina Lastovo je imalo župni ured, narodnu školu s trima razredima, lučkozdravstvenu agenciju, carinu i poštanski ured. Na prijelazu stoljeća bilo je velikih političkih previranja. Najžešća borba se vodila između Stranke prava i Hrvatske narodne stranke za zastupnike u Dalmatinskom saboru u Zadru, Carevinskom vijeću u Beču i Općinskom vijeću. Kulturne prilike su bile skučene. Djelovala su neka kulturno-umjetnička društva. Postojala je Hrvatska čitaonica te podružnica Družbe sv. Ćirila i Metoda. Zabilježeni su neki slučajevi brige o kulturnom naslijeđu. Tako se 1900.–1901. godine radilo na restauraciji umjetničkih slika u župnoj crkvi i crkvi na groblju, a uz pomoć Središnjeg povjerenstva za spomenike u Beču. Zdravstvena skrb je bila slaba. Na otoku nije bilo liječnika, što je stanovništvu izazivalo velike probleme. Ipak se vodilo računa da se morskim prijevozom robe ne bi širila zaraza pa je ustanovljeno Lučko zdravstveno izloženstvo. Javnih infrastrukturnih i komunalnih objekata gotovo i nije bilo. Naročito se osjećala oskudica vode. Da bi se bar donekle to ublažilo, Općina je pristupila gradnji jedne lokve. I Dalmatinsko namjesništvo se zauzelo oko izgradnje čatrnje u selu. Komunikacije su također loše. Pošta je stizala rijetko i neredovito, a dugo nije bilo ni telegrafa. Promet je slabo razvijen. To vrijedi za putove po otoku i pomorske veze. Brodske linije su rijetke, a i lučica sv. Mihovila slaba i nezaštićena pa se za ružnih vremena nije moglo pristajati. Konačno se pristupilo njenom uređenju. Ali radovi su sporo napredovali. Ipak se prvih godina XX. stoljeća počelo s njenim produbljivanjem i proširenjem te s izgradnjom gata. Tako je otok, zbog udaljenosti od kopna, bio uglavnom prepušten sebi. Iako su mu prirodna bogatstva prilična, mogućnost plasiranja proizvoda je bila teška. Država i Općina su poduzimale neke mjere pa su se ipak kroz XIX. stoljeće životne prilike poboljšale.After the ferment of war at the beginning of the 19th century in Europe Dalmatia and with it the island of Lastovo became a part of Austria. This political condition endured till the end of WWI. During the first part of the century Lastovo was a city administration within the district of Dubrovnik. At the time the island was inhabited by about a 1000 inhabitants. Of the public institutions it was the center of the political-juridical chief administrator of the third class, it was the tax-gathering center and it had a health deputy. Public charity existed as a caritative institution on the island. In 1838 a lower elementary school for boys was opened. In the second part of the century Lastovo became a political district within the county of Korčula where there was a court of justice. The district encompassed a surface of 53 square kilometers. In 1869 1042 people lived there. In 1810 that number had risen to 1417 inhabitants. The village of Lastovo was the only settlement on the island but a part of the population lived on some other localities. The main occupation was agriculture. The island was renowned for its southern fruits, the growing of vineyards and olive trees. Stock-breeding was also quite developed. In addition the population engaged in fishing particularly in the summer for sardines. During the seventies Lastovo had a parish office, a school with three grades, a harbor-health agency, the customs and a postal office. The turn of the century witnessed great political turbulence. The most intense conflict was waged between the Party of Right and the Croatian National party for deputies in the Dalmatian congress in Zadar, for the Emperor’s council in Wien and for the District council. Cultural life was underdeveloped. There were a number of cultural-artistic societies. There existed a Croatian Reading room and a branch-office of the Saints Cyril and Methodius society. Some cases of caring for the cultural heritage have been recorded. Thusly in 1900-1901 restoration works were undertaken on the artistic painting in the parish church and in the cemetery church with backing from the Central commission in Wien. Health services were poor. There was no doctor on the island which created great problems for the populace. Nevertheless care was taken that no infection by way of sea traffic come to the island so that a Harbor health board was established. There were almost no public infrastructural and communal services. The lack of water was particularly hard to deal with. In order to remedy this to a certain extent the district proceeded to construct a pool. The Dalmatian governorship took the initiative to build wells in the village. The system of communication was also poor. Mail arrived rarely and irregularly while for a long time there was no telegraph. Transportation was poorly developed. This applies equally to roads on the island and to sea routes. Boat connections were rare while the harbor of St. Michael was small and unprotected so that boats in bad weather could not moor. Finally works to make it better got under way. However progress was slow. During the first years of the 20th century it finally began to be deepened and broadened and a pier began to be built. Thusly, because of its distance from the coast the island was left to itself. Although its natural bounty was great the possibility to put its products on the market was small. The state and the district throughout the 19th century undertook some measure which ultimately improved the living conditions of the islanders