Brod na Savi

Introduction

Zvonimir Toldi, Brod Na Savi, Published in Slavonski Brod 1991

In the seventies of the 19th century, Brod na Savi, with 3.398 inhabitants was a small muddy and dusty town of decreasing importance, the small town of handicraftsmen and farmers, with no industry and traffic connections with the other parts of Croatia.

Only twice a week, the boats of C.K. - Vienna privileged steamship company connected Zemun and Sisak with Brod, on the mid route, on Sunday from Sisak, on Wednesday from Zemun. Their thick smoke was seen from Poloj and from the mouth of Sava, and when the beared captain strongly pulled the steam-powered fife, the crowds of barefooted children ran to the shore to the Agency, to see Galatea and Czigo boats. The middle class in Brod was in a forming process. Their main representatives were handicraftsmen and traders, most of them Germans and the Tzintzars.

The commercial register from 1878. had noted 86 traders in Brod, and the tradesman,s register from year 1877. 233 tradesmen. The "opanak"-makers were the majority. And then, it came the demilitarization of Vojna Krajina (1873), two years after the abolition of the free Brod military komunitet and the proclamation of Brod na Savi, a town (1871), the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the shift of the boarder from Sava to Drina.

General count Josip Filipovic took Brod na Savi for a starting point from which he pontooned to Bosnia. In these days Brod was full of army. The old fortress, built during Karlo VI has already been let out to the traders of Brod for storehouses, revived the days or glory again.

The progress of Brod after the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the building of the railway lines: Dalj-Vinkovci-Brod (1878), the construction of the railway bridge across Sava (1880) and the railway double track Brod-Sarajevo (1882), looked around in the increasing of population and more powerful development of trade and goods, traffic.

Soon, Brod na Savi became famous in the whole Monarchy of a great bridge across the river and its, connection with Bosnia. Here, people went over from the standard gauge railway to the narrow-gauged ones, and not just once spent the night in Brod hostels, before they went to the newly captured places. Brod was the gate of Bosnia. That,s why we say Brod profited during the occupation. Traders became rich and started to build up Brod, and lots of grandiose palaces of historicizam style were built up. These were the days of forming the Jelacic plac, one of the most beautiful and the biggest squares in Croatia, and the rich were competing who were going to build bigger and more beautiful palace. Three houses of the Radosavljević family, the Kohns,, the Brlićs, the Rakasovićs,, the Lackovics, and the D, Elijes, were at the square. Also two elite hostels, the Benčević, s "Red house" and the Jaric's "Yellow house" and the pride of Brod inhabitants, the civil classroom, in which the mayor Jakob D,Elia (1874) laied the corner stone, were there. In every part buildings were built. The priority of Banska street (Starčević today) took over Široki sokak, which was named after the emperor - The Franjo Josip Street. The houses of the same glamour were built: Merkadic, Tassovac, Horvat, Benceviv, the Jewish community were proud of a great sinagogue, with two towers, which had more and more important role in the life of town.

Till the 1890. the town would grow to 6.539 inhabitants and become the most important settlement from the mouth of Una in Sava at Jasenovac to Zemun. It was the Gold Age of Brod na Savi, especially the period of the ruling of the prefect Dragutin Piskur (1895-1901), who inherited Stjepan Horvat. Brod na Savi was the headquarter of district authorities (since 1872), the district court , the tax-office and the custom-house were also here.

Since 1870. the first industrial companies grew up; the brewery, brickyards, distilleries. In 1875. the third brickyard was founded, whose owner was Toffolini. The first bigger industrial company was the steam-mill "Merkadić and Tasovac", founded in1880. and was one of the biggest steam-mills in Slavonia at that time. The great transport of wood went through Brod, for the wood exploitation in Bosnia. The first saw-mill in Brod na Savi was founded in 1899. under the name of "Parna pilana za izradu liesa", later it became "Slaveks". The plenty of cheap human working force, a good railroad connection with navigable Sava were favourable to the development of the wood and timber industry in Brod. The great company "Slavonija" was founded in 1904. and the factory of furniture, veneers and parquetry was built. Thus, Brod na Savi gradually got industrial and traffic importance at the beginning of 20th century, with its, significance of a handicraft and mililitary headquarter constantly decreasing.

The World War I has stopped the development of town, but soon after the foundation of a new state, of South Slavs, the position of Brod na Savi and its, traffic connections became the advantage espied by many, so the twenties were "The Golden Age of Brod" again. The industry progressed rapidly, the new factories sprang up: the factory of metal objects and household iron furniture, the factory of the underwear, the factory of wooden houses "Jugo-Henč", the factory "Tubus" of boilers and steam tubes, and as the most important, in 1921. "The first Yugoslav factory of railway cars and bridges" was incorporated. Also the residence of the first Croatian savings-bank, The Benčević Palace and The Croatian House were built.

In 1921. Brod had 10.621 inhabitants. Brod na Savi had a wild time during these days. Party by party, concerts, tea-parties organised in the elite hotel "Central", in hostels: "Tri gavrana", "Jankomir", "Evropa", in restaurations:"Kasino", "Zeleni dvor", "Velika pivana", … Brod ladies, set free of the special "Zita" stays, danced where they were asked. Ane Funk, an excellent dance teacher, Shimmy, Fox-Trott, Boston, Van-Steep,… The tennis was played, and the horse-races were watched on Vijuš arranged by Kolo jahača "Ljudevit Posavski",…

Soon, the post-war economic crisis affected a great number of people… By the Regulation of Yugoslavian Minister of Interior, number 16144, from 29th May 1934, Brod na Savi name changed to Slavonski Brod.

In this book are presented the postcards of "Golden Ages of Brod na Savi", as they speak more than thousand words. We supplemented the book with articles and advertisements out of Brod newspapers of that age, and with some original photographies of the town not been found on postcards.

Zvonimir Toldi, Slavonski Brod 1991