Refugees in Idrija and the surrounding villages in the period 1914–1915

Abstract

Following the declaration of war on Serbia, the Austro-Hungarian troops began their advance towards the south and, by mid-August 1914, the first clashes erupted on the Cer Mountain. Towards the east, however, the Austro-Hungarian army started an offensive on the Visla River on 23 August, in an attempt to continue the momentum of the German triumph. Within the span of one week, the monarchy was fighting on both the Balkan and the Eastern Front, and the onset of hostilities also raised the question of the civilian population that inhabited the endangered areas. Refugees from these areas were resettled across the monarchy’s interior, including Carniola, where they were taken in by local communities. The refugees were also accommodated in the area of the present-day Idrija; or, more precisely, those from Dalmatia were housed in the Municipality of Godovič and those from Galicia and Bukovina in the municipalities of Idrija, Spodnja Idrija, Godovič, Črni Vrh and Dole. Many events that took place during the period in question were related to refugees, ranging from a case of cholera and organising instruction in the Polish language to numerous complaints.