Der Ohrider Župan Andrea Gropa
The Ohrid Zhupan Andrea Gropa

Summary/Abstract: This paper focuses on the late fourteenth century Balkan noble named in the title. After a brief introduction the text is divided into the following subsections: 1. The earliest data on the noble family of Gropa; 2. His arrival in Ohrid and the beginning of his rise; 3. Gaining independence; 4. The territory; 5. Title, mints and office; 6. End of his rule; and 7. Origin and ethnicity. It is important to emphasise that the sovereign Andrea Gropa was definitely part of the Serbian feudal hierarchy before he came to Ohrid. Evidence of his presence in Ohrid begins in the 1370s. At first, he was a vassal of the Prilep kings Volkashin and Marko. He later became an independent lord of the town. The best confirmations for his independent status are the findings that he was minting his own silver coins, that he had a Slav office and that the founder’s inscription in the Ohrid Church of Small St. Clement (1378) describes Gropa as the sole secular sovereign of Ohrid. The issues regarding his origin and ethnicity are specially treated here. The paper also makes a scientific contribution to the broader understanding/ perception of late medieval Balkan ethnicity. The meagre source material about this sovereign of Ohrid is one of the main reasons for the insufficient scientific attention and interest in him. As a matter of fact, that is the reason why many issues regarding his life and work are still unsolved. Despite this dearth of historiography, it is very likely that Andrea Gropa was not a marginal and insignificant feudal sovereign.

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