HOW TO CROSS A BORDER

When you're headed for the border, you're bound to cross the line.

Kris Kristoferson, song writer

The supposed role of a border, either real or imagined, is to prevent passage – however, there are human activities that involve crossing borders. The exchange of goods or trade will force even two conflicting groups of people to engage in cross-border communication. Border zones, on the other hand, have their own specific economies that allow the people living in them to survive in conditions that are often dictated by a latent state of conflict or even war. The economy has often linked borders to the illegal import or export of goods and increased surveillance. Border zones are often also areas of preferential customs duties to encourage cross-border trade.

Crossing a border

We need a human presence at the border and a humane presence at the border.

John Dewey, philosopher

The border is made up of a number of signs that clearly define the state territory in space and thus how to behave. People’s movement is strictly controlled there and is legally possible only at designated border crossings with state signs, customs, customs officers, and border police. At this point, the identity of people and their intentions, their personal belongings and everything they carry with them are checked.

There are many anecdotes and examples of problems that individuals encountered when crossing the border and obtaining valid personal documents. In the period between the two world wars, the inhabitants of Rijeka and its surroundings had to cross the state border between the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on a daily basis. Many were indeed living on the edge.

Lasciapassare, a permit to cross the Sušak / Rijeka border, 1947

Permit for multiple border crossings in the name of Ljudevit Jelušić, Sušak, 1 October 1946

Musical performance permit to cross the Sušak / Rijeka border, Rijeka, 13 April 1925

View of the city of Rijeka in 1670, second half of the 19th century, copy according to: Giorgio Genova, Rijeka, 1670

“On the subject of those crossing over the walls of Rijeka or passing through the holes (in walls) – We hereby order that anyone found crossing over the walls of Rijeka or passing through the holes – either during day or night, a foreigner or an exile – be punished with a fine in the amount of 15 libars during the day, and double the amount at night. Every person who offers help or favour to such person shall be punished the same.“ (Statute of the City of Rijeka, 1530, p. 323)

Border crossing on the Rječina river, 1920

Guard of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes next to the chapel of St. John of Nepomuk, 1920

Friends and relatives who, separated by the border, lived in Italian Rijeka and Yugoslavian Sušak, would meet here and communicate through the window.

Austrougarska putovnica Moisije Polić

Pogranična karta za zonu Rijeka – Sušak, 1935.

Border economy

Economy is the art of making the most of life. The love of economy is the root of all virtue.

George Bernard Shaw, writer

The economic development of the town along the Rječina river was based on overseas trade and goods, including those coming from the hinterland. Therefore, it has always depended on political events both in Adriatic and in continental Croatia. It was the Ottoman incursions from Bosnia through Lika, the hinterland of Rijeka and further towards Carniola and Friuli in the 15th and 16th centuries that stopped the trade caravans that had been bringing goods to and from the port of Rijeka for centuries. Tensions between the Habsburgs on the one hand, who ruled Rijeka and its hinterland, and the coast from Brseč to Karlobag, and Venice on the other, which ruled the rest of the eastern Adriatic coast and islands, blocked the seaport of Rijeka. Frequent clashes harmed people on both sides of the border, Venetian and Habsburg subjects alike. But wars are only episodes in the long history of coexistence where the exchange of goods is stronger than all conflicts. Rijeka was the main trade centre for the war plunder of the Senj Uskoks as well as where they got supplies. Goods, as well as slaves sold here against their will, brought from some parts under the Ottomans, were sold as household help in Rijeka or further in Italy. Human trafficking, although long illegal, has unfortunately not ceased to exist. Due to unfortunate circumstances, many children, women and men are still turned into goods sold across the border. Trafficking is still black economy that has not been eradicated, that knows no borders and in which no life is sacred.

Loading of goods on the “Orient” steam boat in the harbour of Rijeka, Ilario Carposio, Rijeka, around 1890

As the Habsburgs strengthened their influence in relation to Venice, Medieval Rijeka did not give up its orientation towards the sea, which will be most prominent from the second half of the 17th century. The proclamation of free navigation on the Adriatic in 1717 and the free port in 1719 laid the foundations for the envisioning and realization of inland routes that peaked trade and production in Rijeka at the beginning of the 20th century thanks to numerous international investments. Land connections with the interior of the Monarchy through the construction of new roads from the first half of the 18th to the end of the Napoleonic Wars, as well as rail transport after 1873 compensated for all the shortcomings that prevented or slowed Rijeka's stronger influence concerning maritime transport and trade on the Adriatic.

Turkish ferman for captain Medanić, Mehmed the Second, Istanbul, 1838

“As the officials who were called to supervise the fortifications located in the Dardanelles strait and the Bosphorus prevented the passage of Captain Juraj Medanic's ships sailing under the Austrian flag and transporting grain to Russia, His Majesty the Sultan declared, after petitions submitted by the Austrian Ambassador Baron Esmer, that this high Ferman shall be issued, provided with the imperial sign and the signature of His Majesty's private secretary, to be handed over to the aforementioned captain, so that he could sail freely and undisturbed in all directions and with all possible benefits to cross the straits with his ships. In the capital of our eternal empire, Constantinople. In the year of Hijri, 1256” (Ferman, translation), V. Cihlar, Seamanship, number 5-6, Rijeka, 1953

Scarf / Naval chart of the Mediterranean with trade routes, Italy, first half of the 20th century

Governor′s decree on customs exemptions, Rijeka, 1786

Customs clearance certificate, Rijeka, 1 September 1923

“In the bay created by the river, inside the city, we saw a large number of small vessels, speronaras, trabakula ships, etc. used for trade along the shore; they ship mostly wine and several other products to Trieste, Dalmatia and Venice. They return with several of their local and colonial products – part of those products will be used for local consumption, and part will be smuggled inland.” (Svein Mønnesland: Istria and Kvarner through foreign eyes, 2019, p. 63)

Amber necklace, Grobnik –Grobišće, Baltic, 5th – 2nd century BC

Amber, an extremely valuable raw material that was considered to have magical healing properties, has been shipped from the Baltic area to the Mediterranean from the Bronze Age. The route used to take amber from the Baltic to the southeast and southwest of Europe was called the Amber Road, and many ancient writers named a group of islands in the northern Adriatic the Amber Islands. Although it is not clear exactly which islands the name refers to, there is a possibility that the islands in question are Krk, Cres and Lošinj. Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) spoke about the great value of amber in ancient Rome, saying that a small product made of amber had a greater value than "several humans". The fact that an amber necklace – believed to help babies when teething – can nowadays be bought in a pharmacy shows how long a tradition can be kept.

Glass, Rijeka – Pod Kaštelom, Venice, middle of the 14th – beginning of the 16th century

Šešir, Caldwell & Co., London, početak 20. stoljeća

Hat, Caldwell & Co., London, beginning of the 20th century

Jug, England, first half of the 19th century

Glassware, Friedrich Egermann, Czech Republic, 19th century

Smuggling and trafficking

I have never smuggled anything in my life. Why, then, do I feel an uneasy sense of guilt on approaching a customs barrier?

John Steinbeck, writer

In addition to legal means of crossing the border, smuggling and trafficking inevitably developed as attempts to circumvent state control. On the one hand, there are examples of individuals who, for the sake of their own existence, secretly transferred goods necessary for a better life, such as basic foodstuffs, but also “small life pleasures” that they could not obtain on their side of the border. Such numerous personal experiences have left a mark on life in this area, especially in the 20th century. On the other hand, there are examples of organized transport of goods across the border in order to make a significant profit. Today, unfortunately more than ever, we are witnessing the most dramatic examples of trafficking – that of trafficking people across the border for large profits, taking advantage of their unfortunate fates. How did profit beat Man?

Milk container, Arko, Zagreb, first half of the 20th century

“Milkmaids didn't care much about the weather. Their duty was to put a basket on their back and go to Rijeka and deliver the milk, regardless of rain, snow or ice. (...) At the border crossing, Customs would check the milk – that wasn't done every day, but two or three times a month. If the milk quality wasn't satisfying, milkmaids had to pour the milk into the channel. (...) Once the milkmaids sold the milk, they would go and buy food for their households: rice, coffee, and sugar, but in small quantities because they had to figure out how to cross the border back home. (...) Shopping was done in the city of Rijeka because it was much cheaper. Rijeka was known as the “Franc zone”, which was something like a modern duty-free zone. They would dissolve sugar in a small amount of water and pour it in a black bottle, then put it on the bottom of their basket. They would roll rice and coffee into a scroll for transport.” (Jadranka Cetina and Duša Slosar Cernjar: Mlekarice – od Rečini do Lovranske Dragi, 2012, p. 82/83

Pipe, Chioggia (Italy), second half of the 19th century

Tobacco production began to develop in our area in the middle of the 17th century. At that time, anyone could grow and sell tobacco, but customs duties had to be paid for exports across the state border. Since this cross-border trade brought the highest earnings, a large chain of smugglers developed despite the risks. There is information about a smuggler called Juraj Čop who tried to transport tobacco to Italy and was caught in 1710. Considering that Mr. Čop was the parish priest of Trsat, this act shocked the public.

Pipe, Kremnica (Slovakia), second half of the 19th century

Tobacco pouch, Brzaci (the island of Krk), first half of the 20th century

“This was before the World War II. A man named Ive Božov worked at Hartera. All of his family relatives were already gone. Ive lived just above Matulji. The borrderstretchedoverPerasovo and he had to pass it every morning. Since his family was very poor, and his parents were old, he first had to take care of the livestock, light a fire, and make coffee for his parents. Only then could he go to work. Since he was always late, he had to run across the border towards Rijeka. He would work his shift in Hartera, and then he would run back home. He was well known to carabinieri at the crossing: they would raise the ramp as soon as they would see him – they didn't even ask for his passport since he was always in such a hurry. Then the war began. The border was gone and the carabinieri never found out that Ive was the greatest smuggler of those time. He smuggled fine quality cigarette paper he had been stealing from Hartera for ten years. He would then sell that paper. His best buyers? The carabinieri from the border crossing. (Cvjetana Miletić: Liburnijski luštrin, 2005, p. 55–56)