engleski

Gradation of differences : ethnic and religious minorities in medieval Dubro

The division of medieval Europe into small communities resulted in the fact that the notion of “foreign” became immensely wider. Dubrovnik, the city on the boundary of civilizations, in the Middle Ages became an example of a coherent community that drew up rough outlines of its identity and basic security by stressing its differences from “others”. On the other hand, everyday connections were also important for the survival of the community, and, therefore, these connections were broken only when extreme political or religious differences were in question. In the geopolitically sensitive area, the independence of the Republic of Dubrovnik could only be preserved by wise keeping of balance that included tolerance towards the different, with the unquestionable preservation of its own uniqueness and the feeling of belonging to the Republic, Catholicism, Dalmatia and Hungarian Kingdom. That is why the relations towards strangers were characterized by tolerance and pragmatism. Differentiation and separation from the strangers didn’t necessarily include hostility towards them, but, above all, defining and preservation of its uniqueness, that is identity. The relation towards strangers was contradictory, and that contradiction stemmed from pragmatism. The city needed foreigners and tried to attract them into the city, but, on the other hand, it exercised caution towards them and spread local interests. The possibility of integration existed, but it was graded, and the factors of that gradation were related to religion first of all, then civilization, language, ethnic closeness and political affiliation. The laws and citizens of the city of Dubrovnik made distinctions among newcomers, but the city-gates were open, or left ajar, to all.

Middle Ages, Dubrovnik, ethnic and religious minorities

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