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Violence against the Paulines in Late Medieval Slavonia (with Special Reference to the Pauline Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Moslavina Mountain)

According to medieval sources, activity of the Pauline order in Croatia is characterised by a peaceful co-existence and good neighbourly relations, far more than feuds and violence. Also, it cannot be claimed that the violence towards the Paulines was more frequent or brutal then towards other people. For instance, the Chupor family acted no differently towards their contemporaries, and some of the Kastelan family members even acted violently towards one another. A number of investigations and inquiries showed that suits filed by the Paulines were justified, but the question remains whether the Paulines eventually received compensation, seeing that the litigations lasted a long time due to numerous postponements and appeals. One could assume that the lack of further appeals possibly meant either the loss of documents, or that the issue was settled in favour of the Paulines. However, it is indicative that numerous records testify to the fact that Paulines from Moslavina usually did not give up until they achieved what they wanted, or, at the very least, reached some kind of a compromise. Several documents confirm that the Moslavina Paulines and their subjects also retreated to violence, but aside from abductions of serfs, no details are mentioned. It is not possible to determine to what extent the monks were directly involved in the misdeeds (excluding self-defence) and in what measure, if any, they initiated certain violent acts of their subjects, whether they enticed them or the subjects acted "on their own". Josip Adamček, Croatian historian, claims that only old people on their deathbed were signing over their land/estates or money to the Paulines, and all the rest had ongoing disputes with them. Church historian Kamilo Dočkal suggests that the Garić Paulines had evil neighbours so they were forced into this disputes. However, the documents question the theories of both authors and suggest that the historical truth lays somewhere in between, meaning that the Pauline monks and their peasants were indeed subjected to various acts of violence, but at times they rightfully ended up "in the dock". Comparative studies of similar cases would help to better observe the problem. However, in Croatian Medievistics the research of this phenomenon and individual crimes (especially in late medieval Slavonia) is still just occasional. The researchers studying the Paulines also haven't explored this aspect in the history of Pauline monasteries, and it would definitely be worth it.

Croatia ; Pauline monastery of The Blessed Virgin Mary on Moslavina Mountain

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