Steam engines in agricultural use in Croatia and Slavonia during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy

Abstract

Industrial revolution and modernization of agriculture in Croatia and Slavonia began in mid-19th century and evolved at a slower pace compared to the other countries of the Austrian Empire. The main reasons were lack of capital, shortage of good river- and land traffic routes, slowness in the construction of railways, slowness in the introduction of steam engines, lack of skilled workforce and extensive farming. The second agricultural crisis in Europe, which lasted from 1873 until 1895, motivated large holdings in Croatia and Slavonia to introduce steam engines and machines for the purpose of rationalization of agricultural production. Locomobiles were mostly represented on holdings with over 575.5 ha. The then country of Slavonia, as an eminently agrarian region and the main source of wheat was leader in the use of steam engines, steam ploughs and steam-powered machines in agriculture. The locomobile was used in agriculture until the mid-20th century and was discontinued with the growing use of tractors with internal combustion engine and the use of combine harvesters. Until 1918, Croatian lands were a part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

Keywords

• industrial revolution
• locomobile
• steam plough
• steam-powered threshing machine
• industrielle revolution
• lokomobile
• dampfpflug
• dampfdreschmaschine