The Historical Context of the Royal Borough of Osijek in 1809

Osijek je dugo čekao na proglašenje kraljevskim i slobodnim gradom. Razlozi tomu nalaze se u njegovoj poziciji prema vladarskoj kući, ali i u unutarnjoj socijalnoj strukturi. Naime, pojedini gradovi u hrvatsko-ugarskoj kraljevini već se od 13. stoljeća kite tim prestižnim znakovljem zahvaljujući ponajprije velikom broju stranaca koji ih nastanjuju. Osijek je u to vrijeme pod upravom feudalnih obitelji, koje nisu izvan utjecaja tadašnjih europskih ideja o potrebi ustanovljenja gradskih sadržaja jer upravljaju prostorom pogodnim za naseljavanje i gradsko širenje. Saživjela je i u Osijeku trgovina, obrti, upravna vlast, slično kao i u drugim europskim gradovima. No nedostatak etničkih stranaca i nastanjivanje okolnim stanovništvom pridonijelo je statusu quo u upravnom pozicioniranju grada. Naime, sve do zauzimanja grada Osijeka 1521. godine od strane Osmanlija, on je feudalna naseobina s gradskim sadržajima u smislu trgovine, obrta, prosvjete, kulture i uprave. Oslobođenjem od Osmanlijske vlasti cijela Slavonija, kao i Osijek, postaju područje pod upravom Ugarske komore. I tek tada počinju procesi sasvim drukčiji od predturskih vremena. Zbog nepostojanja dovoljno stanovništva, a zbog graničnog područja prema Osmanskom Carstvu, taj se prostor ljudski popunjava. U skladu s prilikama uz vojnički element, Osijek nastanjuju obrtnici, trgovci-stranci, koji čine i većinu stanovništva, osobito u Unutarnjem gradu. Do proglašenja kraljevskim slobodnim gradom Osijek će na unutarnjem razvojnom planu korak po korak ovladavati pravnim, ekonomskim i strateško-sigurnosnim instrumentarijem koji će se jednog trenutka poklopiti s općim odrednicama razvitka habsburške kuće i hrvatsko- ugarskog kraljevstva o trenutku i potrebi dodjeljivanja privilegija. Osijek je postao slobodnim kraljevskim gradom onoga trenutka kada je njegovo okruženje – prilike u carevini i kraljevini – ocijenilo da je za njih isplativije dobiti odjednom pozamašnu svotu novca uz daljnji godišnji “danak”, a ujedno, pokazat će se zahvalni i velikodušni prema svojim vjernim podanicima. I kompromis je postignut. Osijek je s novim elanom, građansko-financijskom i upravnom autonomijom, osigurao suvremen autonomno-upravni status i snaženje građanskog prosperiteta.Osijek had long been waiting to be proclaimed the royal borough. The reasons for this were not only its position towards the ruling house but also its interior social structure. Since the 13th century some towns in the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary had been using this prestige denotation due to a large number of foreign citizens abiding there. Osijek at that time was adminstered by feudal families aware of the influence of the European ideas of that time about the need of establishing urban features since they administered the area suitable for settling and urban expansion. Trade, crafts, administrative power had taken hold there just as in other European towns. However, lack of ethnic foreigners besides settling of neighbouring population contributed to status quo in setting an administrative position of the town. Osijek had been a feudal settlement with urban features in sense of trade, crafts, education, culture and administration until the Turkish seizure in 1521. After liberation from the Turks entire Slavonia including Osijek became the area administered by the Hungarian chamber. It was only then that the processes different from those originating from pre-Turkish times started to take place. Since the area was insufficiently populated and bordered on the Turkish Empire it had been gradually populated. According to the circumstances besides the military Osijek had been settled by craftsmen and traders – foreign citizens that made the majority in particular in the town interior. In its interior development plan until it was proclaimed royal borough Osijek was gradually mastering its legal, economic and strategic-security instruments that at one point coincided with general determinants of the development of the House of Habsburg and the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary of the time and need for granting privileges. Osijek was proclaimed royal borough at the time when its surrounding comprising the circumstances in the Empire and Kingdom estimated that it was more cost-effective to receive a larger sum of money as additional annual «tribute» at once and act at the same time generously and gratefully towards their devoted servants. Thus the compromise was reached. New enthusiasm, civil-financial and administrative autonomy granted Osijek the modern autonomous-administrative status and its civil prosperity