Brodski svjetski putnici kroz svijet barijera - mali prinos komparativnom proucavanju brodske povijesti
Brod's travellers through the world of barriers - a small contribution to the investigation of history of Slavonski Brod

Summary/Abstract: The author of this paper sets out to provide a comparative analysis of the relationships within the guild as an organization and within the handicrafts in Slavonski Brod. We identified two levels for comparative analysis: the horizontal level which represents boundaries between the guilds and the vertical level representing the hierarchical structure within the handicraft. At both levels the psychology of power is at work. Power primarily derives from the rules and regulations imposed by the central state and which, interestingly enough, were labelled Privileges. The guilds protected these privileges on the horizontal plane by proscribing engagement with the handicraft for any individual who is not member of the guild; by limiting the size of guild membership, by banning imports of the goods produced by handicraftsmen from the city and other similar restrictive measures. On the vertical plane one also detects a typical fight for retention of positions gained and a classic desire to move upward on the social ladder. These tendencies were evident in the relationships between master craftsmen, assistants and apprentices – the three pillars of any handicraft. These tensions resulted in the breach of one of the strictest provisions in the Military Border – the provision on limitation of movement. In the area where even the slightest movement, even the shortest trip was conditional on the acquisition of special permits, and in the country in which poor education and ignorance of other cultures was a rule rather than exception – the youth opted for long unpredictable travels throughout the Habsburg Monarchy to gain the skills and knowledge necessary for them to compete for the positions of master handicraftsmen, and thus move one, but an important step higher on the social ladder.

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