With the Treaty of Karlowitz signed in 1699, the rule of the Ottoman Empire in large parts of Central and Eastern Europe ended. The liberation of Osijek in 1687, followed by the liberation of all Slavonia (Eastern Croatia) in 1699, marked the beginning of a new era of freedom and well-being for its citizens. After the Great Turkish War and the liberation of Osijek in 1687, Jesuits arrived in the city with the imperial army in order to minister soldiers. With the arrival of additional Jesuits, their Mission evolved into a permanent presence, eventually becoming Osijek's first parish church. Osijek Jesuits administered the parish church from 1693, but officially took the parish church in 1701 and already the next year they were granted Aljmaš estate, which they were leasing from the Esztergom Archdiocese since 1690. It was a small estate, but Jesuits managed it properly and usually produced cereals, with the emphasis on the oats and maize. Wheat, maize and oats were common cereals cultivated in Slavonia. As stated in the Jesuit chronicles, the most common crop usually planted on their estate in Aljmaš was oat, since oat was used as a basic livestock feed because of its high content of fat and other nutritional elements. Next to maize, the most common crop grown for human consumption was wheat.

Osijek, Slavonia, 18th century, Jesuits, agriculture

agronomy

Presentation: poster