This Page is about the albanian Families from Arbnesh, Brisk, Shestan and Ljare Posht that fled in the 1700's to Croatia to avoid converting to Islam from the Turks.

First is the english version. At the Bottom of the page you will find the Albanian Version.

Any Question : Livaritrading@yahoo.com

The following page was made possible due to the generosity and kindness of Domagoj Buljat. His help in my quest to learn more about my ancestors is greatly appreciated even though later findings would show that my ancestors are not from the Zadar area home. Regardless of this fact, his help and unselfish kindness has inspired me to push harder to unravel some of the mysteries behind my family's past. For this, I am greatly indebted to him.

Due to the lack of primary resources in my local area, the following text I received from Domagoj Buljat has been gathered mainly from a book entitled Povijest Arbanasa kod Zadra (The History of Albanians Near Zadar). This book was written in an older Croatian text and therefore, forced me to translate and paraphrase a few sections that I felt were important. I have taken it upon myself to minimize any errors. However, mistakes still occur and I apologize if any are found on this page.

I hope the information presented on this page will be as interesting to you as it was for me. Although personally none of my ancestors are from the Zadar area, many present day Croatian (and even some Italian) families will be shocked to learn about their Albanian roots.

Please note that I have chosen to leave Èurkoviæ as was found in the book even though the majority of people today write it as Æurkoviæ.

I dedicate this page to the rest of the Æurkoviæ families in the world who are curious about learning more about their ancestry. The following is fairly interesting but in my case, it still leaves a lot of questions that need to be answered. In the meantime, enjoy the read.

INTRODUCTION

Very few people in the world know that a small Albanian settlement was established, close to three centuries ago, south of Zadar in Dalmatia. This settlement was known as Borgo Erizzo at first, and then later as Arbanasi. Today, the settlement has been incorporated into the city of Zadar, Croatia.

The inhabitants of this one time village were known as the Arbanasi (or simply, the "Albanians" in Croatian). The Arbanasi are known to have settled the area during two different periods of migration; the first in 1726 and the second in 1733. These settlers were said to be part of the Kastrati clan, one of the numerous Northern Albanian clans known to have existed. How and why an Albanian settlement originated where it is today can be explained by many old legends and historical documents.

Many of today's inhabitants around Zadar, without a doubt, overwhelmingly originate from the first and second Arbanasi migrations. Historical records prove that their ancestors used to belong to the Archdiocese of Bari (Bari, or Bar as it is known today, is located in present-day Montenegro along the Adriatic coast near the border with Albania). However, in which villages they lived in, the records do not mention. Local legend says that they came from two different villages. The first one is Briska and the other from Šesta.

Father Šime Stipèeviæ, a priest from nearby Zadar, once swore that he has seen the two villages mentioned above around the area of Bari (also known as Antivari). Moreover, some citizens from town spoke that they were actually in these villages, which the legend mentions, when they were assigned in Albania as soldiers during the first World War (1914-18).

However, using the most accurate geographical map of Albania at that time, an Italian professor by the name of Tullio Erber, stated that he could not find the names of Briska and Šesta but instead, found Prešja and Šjak, which may very well have been the same villages mentioned in the legend. It may very well have been that the people who at one time lived in these villages may be in fact, the ancestors of today's Arbanasi. It may also help to explain the two different periods of migration as a few linguistic differences have been noted between the people from the first and second migrations.

On the other hand, Sami Flamuri, author of such books as E Perjetshme eshte Shqiperia and Zauvjek Albanija, has confirmed that the Arbanasi did in fact leave the villages of Brisk(Briska) and Shestan(Šesta). He also states that some of those that fled this area were also from the village of Arbnesh. All these Albanian villages still exist and can be found in the outlying areas of Bar and Ulcinj. It is also remarkable to note that today's settlers still remain Catholic to this very day.

Another source confirms Flamuri's comments stating that up to 250 different families migrated from this region mainly from the villages of Shestan, Brisk, Liare, and Arbnesh.

MAP OF PRESENT DAY MONTENEGRO-ALBANIA BORDER AREA

Even though the towns of Bar and Ulcinj are situated by the Adriatic Sea, it is not known for sure whether the Arbanasi were mountain dwellers or inhabitants of the coast. However, some evidence points to the fact that the Arbanasi did not live along the Adriatic Sea coast, as they do today. One clue points to the fact that the Arbanasi of Zadar had no words in their Albanian vocabulary for the various kinds of fish found in the Adriatic. All the words they had for various names of fish were Croatian in origin i.e. manula (burbot), špar (annular gilthead), glavoè (goby), tunjevina (tuna), etc.

REASONS FOR MIGRATION

Since the first Ottoman empire conquest over the Albanian people, there have been many instances whereby the Albanians rose up in rebellion against their Turkish occupiers. In order to pacify the Albanians (who were partly motivated by defence of the Christian faith) as well as to bring Albanians spiritually closer to Turkey, the Ottomans initiated a systematic drive toward the end of the 16th century to Islamize the population.

In the 16th century almost all Albanians were Christian, with the Roman Catholic Church being dominant in the north, and the Orthodox Church in the south. At first, only a small number of town clans became converted to Islam, in order to maintain their economic position and privileges. Within the next hundred years, however, coercion and economic pressures would change the religious makeup of the Albanian people.

In the 17th century the Turks began a policy of Islamization of the population at large to ensure peace in the Albanian lands, and to win the allegiance of this nation of warriors to the Ottoman empire: the propagation of Islam was the best means of pacifying the Albanians. They also used economic incentives to convert the people. Those who adopted Islam received land, and had their taxes lowered, whereas the raya (inhabitants) in subjugated Balkan countries worked the land without the right of ownership. The Albanian raya at first put up rather strong resistance to Islamization, as can be inferred from the length of time needed to convert most of the population. However, in the 18th and 19th centuries Islam became predominant, and its adherents far outnumbered the Christian population of Roman Catholics and Orthodox by a ratio of two-to-one. Those that remained Catholic (in the north) or Orthodox (in the south) experienced many hardships which in turn forced many of them to flee elsewhere. During these times, it is believed that up to one quarter of the Albanian population fled abroad to southern Italy, Sicily, and the Dalmatian coast.

The Arbanasi that settled around Zadar were of the Roman Catholic faith and whatever reason caused them to be placed under the protection of the Venetian Republic of Dalmatia is explained in the records. For the first migration it states that "because of the religious persecution and violence from the Turkish side, it is written that the Albanian families agreed to break free from Turkish barbarism, leaving in their homeland everything and everyone, taking refuge under the protection of the republic" (document from August 15, 1726).

For the second migration it tells "that those families were forced to flee from their homeland because of the persecution due to two Ottoman empire pashas from Bari" (document from October 27, 1733). The Turks recognized that the persecution by Pasha Akmet was wrong and it would inevitably cost him as he would be ousted for forcing the Arbanasi to move out of their homeland (document from December 30, 1733).

According to legend, one of the many ways the Turks persecuted the Albanians was by taking part in the rapes of young Christian women. The Albanians, in turn, took revenge on this act of dishonour by slaughtering the Turks by night, burning down their villages, and fleeing their homeland before encountering any new terrors or worst evils. It is not hard to believe that the first runaways left their homeland for the reasons the legend has given, for in the records it does not mention how they came, but rather that they left "everything and everyone to take refuge under the rule of the republic". However, for the second migration, legend conflicts with historical records with respect to the mention of the exact persecution faced at the hands of the Turkish pasha; and is therefore something that should be discarded.

THE FIRST MIGRATION

In 1726, 21 Albanian families left their homeland and settled a kilometre south of Zadar. The Republic of Venice, which during that time governed Dalmatia, took in the immigrants under its protection; building them houses for homes and stables for livestock, giving them the deeds to the land and, in the case of Zemunik, ploughing and nourishing the pasture land for them as well as clearing it of any trees.

A register of records from August 15, 1726 carries the names of 21 families with the following names:

In his Zara cristiana, Zadar's Monsignor Bianchi mentions the arrival of the Arbanasi near Zadar. He writes that in 1726, led by the two Petani brothers, 24 families from Turkish Albania came. He furthermore writes that they came from two directions with 12 Arbanasi families from each direction. However, in a different book, it is recorded that 16 families established an Albanian settlement. One particular peculiarity though is that there is no mention of the Petani family in the registry.

Distinguished professor, Vjekoslav Klaiæ, writes about the Arbanasi in his book Opis zemalja u kojim stanuju Hrvati (Report On The Lands Habitated By The Croats), published in 1881. Here he mentions that even the Archbishop of Zadar settled the area around the year 1720 and that there were 1354 Arbanasi residents from Scutari (in present-day Albania). However, there is no mention of a second settlement. The year of the recorded arrival is also wrong, as it may have come from an incorrect source or may have even been a publishing error. In his book Albanija i Makedonija (Albania and Macedonia), printed in 1904, Jakov Sliškoviæ looks back on the Albanian migration and writes that this Albanian migration can be called a settlement for those 27 families which took refuge from the persecution of Mahmut Begoviæ, first in Perast and then to the outskirts of Zadar, thanks to the mediation by Bishop Zmajeviæ in 1726. The bishop is credited with saving approximately 800 people. The findings by this professor are a bit skewed and at the time were in the process of being corrected.

THE SECOND MIGRATION

In 1733, seven years after the first migrations, the second group of Arbanasi left their birthplaces and crossed the Bay of Kotor, some alongside and others by sea, to arrive in Hercegovina, where they temporarily settled until they were shipped to Zadar and settled upon the land known as Zemunik, which was donated by the Venetian government. Records from March 11, 1735 reveal that there were about 28 families, and 199 people in total. The names are listed below:

Did all these families come in one trip? Don Mijo Èurkoviæ states the answer as being no because there are many other documents listed between 1733-34 that only speaks of about 150 Arbanasi immigrants. Those 49 extra people listed in the records from March 11, 1735 are thought to have come a bit later. Even documents from 1733 seem to show that 150 people arrived to Kotor and Kaštel Novi in 1733 (although other documents state that this was in 1734). The records from March 11, 1735 also make it very well known that the government credits Archbishop Zmajeviæ for intervening and allowing the Arbanasi to emigrate to Dalmatia. Because of Archbishop Zmajeviæ's influence, the immigrants were also given land in Zemunik and the use of farming equipment for their pastures and the chopping down of trees.

ARBANASI LAND REGISTRY

In 1756, the Venetian government was able to conduct a land registry for the Arbanasi. The register was able to count the number of households in the settlement and the number of people in the each family. The following is a summary of the number of households as found in Erber's book:

Are the names of those from those from the first and second migrations been passed down to those found in this register or are they new last names? This is not easy to explain but Don Mijo Èurkoviæ gives two theories.

The first theory he states is that the names of the first families were replaced by the names of new Arbanasi families that came a short time later (for which there seem to be no records for them). He also points out that the first families may have moved away.

The second theory is a bit more complex and basically states that the last names may have been changed on the basis of the following: nicknames, the name under which a person was christened, and even their father's or grandfather's name. For example, in a document dating back to August 1726, it is seen that the head of the Arbanasi settlement was Luki Andriæ. In the first registry we notice the name of Luca d'Andrea Ghesghenovich which has to be the same as Luki Andric. He simply lost his surname and took on another using his father's christened name. Using this approach, it makes it possible to accept this theory that the family names from the first and later registries really are not different families, but in reality are the names of Albanian families that modified their names under their own or even their father's and grandfather's christened names. At the same time, some families let go of their christened last names and went back to their old family name.

THE ARBANASI IN EVERY DAY LIFE

In 1729, the Arbanasi asked the authorities for permission, on their own expense, to erect a dam, stretched on a present-day small bay, for the good of their settlement to protect them from flooding strong southerly winds, which would often do damage to their local workshops. At the same time, they also asked that the authorities concede the claim to the embanked piece of land until a time came when this land would be arable. Moreover, the Arbanasi had hoped to obtain permission from the government in order to create a harbour that would divert surplus water from the bay so that they could catch fish. The authorities consented to their request, and on that very same day made their claim legal (document from April 10, 1729). Forty years later, Dominik Condulmer, the provveditore (governor/military commander) of Zadar, as well as reaffirming their old claim to the bay and harbour, passed a law that would penalize trespassers 100 ducats if they were caught on this property.

In 1735, due to the deaths of some landlords and the movement of people to different parts of Dalmatia, much arable land soon became available. The same thing occurred in 1739. A few of the Arbanasi submitted a request to the authorities that the free arable land be divided among them. The provveditore came to a fair decision that legally entitled the oldest land owners to a tenth of the land. Some of the Arbanasi were annoyed by this decision and moved further away to Zemunik. On the other hand, Arbanasi living in Zemunik since 1727 had also moved closer to town. The decision to change homes cost the Arbanasi their property but by the end of 1739 they were firmly in their new surroundings. No matter how inconvenient it was for them at first, the move would later prove to a blessing for their entire families.

In 1749, some of the Arbanasi were already employed in Zadar as masons. However by 1763, Zadar experienced a cholera outbreak and the Arbanasi, which had opened up many taverns in town by this time, took advantage of the situation by bribing the district authorities to buy food off them for later resale to the town inhabitants at a higher price.

However, Provveditore Micheli was not able to tolerate such lawlessness and betrayal. He severely ordered against any similar smuggling, bribing, and profiteering under the threat of fines, jail, and hard labour. As well, Micheli tried to alleviate town fears by reassuring people that there was food (meats, etc.) that was thoroughly smoked in Šamarak (now Preparandija). However, this decree would do little to stop the Arbanasi from maintaining this illegal trade.

In an effort to discontinue this defiant behaviour, Provveditore Frano Fallier gave an order to the knez (prince) of Zadar to report to him on which taverns and how many of them were actually needed in town for people visiting Samarak (Samarak was thought to be a large storehouse where the district authorities brought their products and where the town inhabitants came to buy them).

The Venetian government did not want to irritate these valuable and defiant citizens. A plan was in place to get the Arbanasi to work in a factory packaging tobacco, which in those times was planted and cultivated on land in Grbe near Nin, owned by the rich Venetian citizen Manfrina Jerka. There was much discontent among the Arbanasi, the working class, and the civil servants over this decision to halt their black market trade. Provveditore Andeo Memo, was forced to deal punishments with great severity to those that continued in this illegal trade by threatening fines, jail, and slavery on galleys to anyone who, under any excuse, corrupted workers or supervisors with any acts or words and purposely damaged any factory equipment (document from May 10, 1783). His firm and clear stance must have silenced the Arbanasi for it is not observed in any other documents of any other problems regarding them.

THE ARBANASI FAITH

As mentioned earlier, the Arbanasi were of the Roman Catholic faith. When they first arrived, the churches of St. Donat (sv. Donat) in Zadar and that of St. John (sv. Ivan), near the marketplace, were given up to the Arbanasi for public worship. The Arbanasi did not have their own church. However, under the leadership and vision of Archbishop Zmajeviæ, construction of a church for the Arbanasi would begin in 1734. It was to be named Our Lady of Loreta and would be completed three years later. This is evident by the death records which bear the names of those that passed away up to the year of 1737 in the churches of St. Donat and St. John. As well, the marriage records mentions all marriage engagements and the marriages which were performed at those churches up to January 1738. Of all the information available, it is possible to confirm the church was completely built and handed over for public worship in 1737.

ARBANASI IN ZEMUNIK

In Zemunik lies another Arbanasi settlement established by the Venetian republic in 1727. It is located 14 km east of Zadar.

A document from February 12, 1728 carries the names of these Arbanasi settlers:

Today's generation in Zemunik does not regard themselves as being of Albanian descent even though names such as Paleka, Šestan, Pinèiæ, Prenða, and Èurkoviæ strongly confirm their ancestry. It seems as if some of the Arbanasi closer to town assimilated relatively early. This is evident during the middle of the 19th century when it was found that none of the older men living in Arbanasi had any recollection that they were Albanian or even knew how to speak Albanian. This is thought to have occurred slowly, possibly due to quarrelling among the Arbanasi amongst themselves. Anger may have been caused due to mutually unjust land claims with respect to family graves, pasture land, and the cutting down of trees. This in turn, more than likely, may have contributed to the aversion of their native heritage.

For those Arbanasi that later settled in Zemunik, they still belonged to the Arbanasi church, for in the register of the Arbanasi church it reads many times, that so and so died in Zemunik, received confession and communion from Arbanasi priests, was buried at the church of Our Lady of Loreta, etc. In fact, the burial records extend all the way to the year 1812.

ARBANASI IN PLOÆE

The village of Ploæe lies 5 km east of Zadar. In Ploæe there are two groups of houses. One set lies on the hills, four kilometres away on the left side of the main road. At the beginning of the street leading to the village of Draèevac (Malpaga), lies another group, 200 metres ahead on the slope of another hill. Here live the true Arbanasi inhabitants, which took up residence and slowly started to acquire land in the nearby vicinity. In the village, homes are named for the families living there. These included the Buliæ, Èurkoviæ, Marnik, Peroviæ, and Stipèeviæ families.

In everyday life, this generation all spoke the Albanian language; and according to Don Mijo Èurkoviæ's book in 1922, "even to this day, the Èurkoviæ family speaks beautifully and correctly, the way it is spoken in Albania". This statement is probably an incorrect one as the Albanian language spoken in this region today is most likely unrecognizable to the average Albanian. If spoken today, the language is likely a dialect composed of a mixture of Albanian, Croatian, and Italian words.

Until the middle of the 19th century they all belonged to the Arbanasi church. However, after that they fell under the lead and guidance of the church in Draèevac. The inhabitants were said to have occupied themselves exclusively in agriculture and most have been described as being in good standing. They were known for having stern characters, but otherwise all were good people of noble heart. As well, everyone in the village is said to have treated each other like members of their own family.

A LIST OF ARBANASI FAMILY NAMES

Buliæ, Æuæula, Èurkoviæ, Dadiæ, Dešpalj, Duka, Gjergja, Jelenkoviæ, Joviæ, Kalmeta, Karuc, Kotlar, Krstiæ, Maršan, Marušiæ, Matešiæ, Mazija, Moroviæ, Musap, Mužanoviæ, Nikpalj, Peroviæ, Petani, Ratkoviæ, Relja-Vladoviæ, Smolèiæ, Stipèeviæ, Tomas, Vladoviæ, Vukiæ

REFERENCES