History of Dubrovnik

The city that George Bernard later called "paradise on earth" was founded in the seventh century. Refugees from Epidaurum, a town about 10 km from the centre of Dubrovnik, founded it under the name Ragusa when their home was destroyed by the Avars. Through protection money paid to the Slavic rulers, peace was secured in the young city, but soon armies from outside developed a lively interest in the steadily growing place too. The Arabs in the ninth century were followed barely 100 years later by the Macedonians, and finally the Venetians reached for power over Ragusa. The inhabitants of Dubrovnik, who at all times included men of letters and intellectuals still known today, manoeuvred skilfully instead of answering force of arms with force of arms: they wanted a state of their own, the widest possible autonomy and above all peace. These aims were achieved by diplomatic means in the twelfth century. Byzantium, Europe and the Slavs could be persuaded to use Ragusa as a place of transshipment and a centre of trade and to spare it from destruction. As caravans and ships now exchanged goods daily, increased the city's wealth and peace seemed secure, it was even decided to fill in the moat that separated the city from the mainland and could protect it against intruders, so that the trade routes should become still less complicated, easier and more comfortable. Today the shopping street Stradun runs over this rampart. Ragusa's independence shows itself also in the fact that from the end of the thirteenth century the city minted its own coin. But in their striving for still more power the city fathers by no means relied only on friendly contacts with those still more powerful: blackmail, intrigue and holding on to the salt monopoly were just as decisive for the success story of the city, by then divided into several princedoms. Since the individual princes always came from wealthy patrician families, no rivalry arose among them either, and they formed a strong front against any interference from outside. Even when the Turks officially seized rule over the city, relations based on reciprocity could be maintained here: on account of their gifts and their promised neutrality in this conflict, Ragusa became the junction between East and West, between occupiers and occupied. But as the merchant fleets of north-western Europe became ever better equipped, faster and more efficient, the harbour of Ragusa grew ever less important, for the Dutch, English and French could cover long distances without losing precious time on a stopover in the Adriatic. Instead of tending and improving their navy as well, in Ragusa they concentrated on using the land: property projects and cultivation seemed a good plan — until a severe earthquake in 1667 thwarted that reckoning. From then on Ragusa was no longer the radiant city it had always wanted to be. Napoleon curtailed its municipal rights; from 1815 it belonged officially to Austria and fell more and more into oblivion. And after the severe destruction and the sieges in the war of 1991–95, Dubrovnik, now fully restored, rebuilt and beautiful, awaits a new era of prosperity and fame. In this the city relies above all on tourism — a promising strategy that will benefit you as well!