History

introduction

According to our Y-DNA, the ancestors of the Ćurković family lived far from their current home of Bosnia-Hercegovina. Over two thousand years ago they were believed to have lived in a region bound by today's northeastern Poland, southern Lithuania and northwestern Belarus.

Our ancestors likely migrated to southeastern Europe during the 6th and 7th centuries when many Slavic tribes came to settle on the territory of the former Roman Empire regions of Dalmatia, Panonia and Istria. These areas roughly correspond to the present-day countries of Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina.

The Buško Blato region of Bosnia-Hercegovina holds a special significance for many members of the Ćurković family. The family has a long history here, spanning almost three centuries and is also among the oldest families in the area. It is also a place that served as a springboard for expansion into other areas of Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina.

Migration from DALMATIA

The current and most popular theory among historians is that the Ćurković family has for centuries lived in the Buško Blato region of Bosnia-Hercegovina. This was only interrupted by the Viennese War of 1683-1699, when about 5000 Catholics fled to Venetian-held Dalmatia for safety in the wake of the Ottoman army's defeat in Vienna in 1683.

In Dalmatia, the Ćurković family found themselves scattered throughout the greater Sinj region. Some members of the family were situated in Bitelić, to the north of the Cetina River (still technically a part of Ottoman territory during this time). Another group landed in Krušvar or Dicmo Gornje, located a short distance from the historic town of Klis overlooking Split.

According to legend, the Ćurković families from the wider Buško Blato and Tomislavgrad region arrived to Vinica from the village of Krušvar. Their arrival is uncertain but is assumed to have occurred after the Sinj War of 1714-18.

Peace between Venice and the Ottomans officially arrived with the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1721. The Ottoman declaration of amnesty for all former Christian subjects of the Ottoman Empire in 1735 made it possible for Catholic families in Dalmatia to return to their homes in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

1741 CENSUS of CATHOLICS in Bosnia-Hercegovina

When Bishop Pavao Dragićević (1694-1773) traveled through areas of Ottoman-held Bosnia-Hercegovina between 1741-43, he found four Ćurković families in the village of Vinica, near the border with Venetian Dalmatia. Those four Catholic families (39 members) were headed by the following:

Ivan Ćurković

5 adults

1 child

Stipan Ćurković

7 adults

11 children

Anton Ćurković

6 adults

2 children

Mate Ćurković

2 adults

5 children

1768 Census of CATHOLICS in Bosnia-Hercegovina

A quarter of a century later, Bishop Marijan Bogdanović (1720-1772), initiated another census much like his predecessor. When he arrived to Vinica this time, he found 4 families whose population swelled to 63 members. These families were headed by:

Lovro Ćurković

4 adults

3 children

Jakov Ćurković

13 adults

11 children

Grgur Ćurković

15 adults

13 children

Luka Ćurković

3 adults

1 child

Further migrations

This census also showed the migration of the Ćurković family into other parts of Ottoman Bosnia. Ćurković families were present in the Ivanjska area near Banja Luka as well as Pokrajčić near Travnik.

Although the Ćurković family is mentioned in the Vinica area it is believed that the many members of the family lived across a wider region to the north of Vinica, including such places as Pasič, Vlaka and Kazaginac (hamlets of Ćurkovići and Kurtovina).

From these places, the Ćurković family expanded into other areas of the Buško Blato and Tomislavgrad region. From the first half of the 19th century they would expand to places such as Grabovica, Prisoje and Stipanići.

From Kazaginac they expanded further into the Livanjsko Polje area. From 1810 to 1820, a branch of the family moved to Odžak. Another branch from Odžak moved to the Travnik area in Central Bosnia. In Odžak these Ćurković families shortened their name to Ćurak. Another group of Ćurković families from Rujani moved to Odžak a little later where they too, shortened their names to Ćurak.

Family nicknames

As the family expanded across Bosnia a number of family nicknames eventually replaced their old Ćurković family surname. For this reason we can safely say that the Blažević, Bundović, Ćalušić and Ivanda families of Vinica are all descended from the Ćurković family. The same can also be said for certain members of the Bikić family (other Bikić families in the Vinica area are descended from other families such as the Babić family).

In Proložac near Imotski, there is even a domazet case, whereby a Ćurković from Vinica married into the Petrušić family and assumed the surname in exchange for rights to the Petrušić family land.

In the Vitez region of Central Bosnia we also find the Vitez and Kraljević families who descend from the Ćurković family.

ALTERNATIVE THEORIES

Some of the earliest mentions of the Ćurković name are found in the Kaštela region of Dalmatia during the early 17th century. These historical records are most likely references to the old Čurkov family in Kaštel Novi (which still exist there today).

This family begins to expand eastwards to Klis following its capture from the Ottoman Turks in 1648. Petar Ćurković and his 7 member family are mentioned in a census of families living here.

The Ćurković family is found in another survey of Klis families around the year 1671.

Is it possible that this family migrated to Dicmo Gornje (Krušvar) from Klis during the Viennese War (1683-1699) instead of from Bosnia-Hercegovina as generally believed?