Tržič and its surroundings at the turn of the nineteenth century

Abstract

The article describes the area of Tržič and its surroundings, which in the first half of the nineteenth century exhibi­ted a highly diversified image. Running a farm around Tržič was a challenging task, primarily due to the heavily accessible terrain. The survival of farms, where sometimes not even the greatest effort would produce sufficient crops for the families to sustain themselves until the next harvest, was ensured by the farmers’ proverbial Upper Carniolan tenacity and shrewdness as well as by also engaging in horse-drawn transportation, charcoal production, and so on. Unlike its agrarian surroundings, Tržič developed into a strong craft centre at an exceedingly early stage, surpassing all other places in Carniola by the number, the scope, and the diversity of crafts. The otherwise dirty, heavy, and often dangerous work was easy to find, whereas farming was an activity of secondary importance for most of the population of Tržič.