devcic

Karlobag was originally known as Bag since Roman Times.

Karlo was some kind of Austraia-Hungarian Emperior and someone decided to hang on his name before Bag. Most Croatians living in Croatia still today know it as Bag. Karlo does not have any merits, which would justify such an extension of the name Bag.

In other words Tito was not the first person who was giving names to the towns without any merits. Titograd, Titov Veles, Titova Korencia. The only name which does not carry Tito's name, was Jaje (small egg) or (small balls) although this Bosniak town was very important to Tito's movement.

Bag was distroyed by the Turks in 1525 and the poputlation left the area completely. Some went on the islands, others to Istria and a significant group moved to Gradisce (Burgenland) in today's Austria.

Till 1680 the Karlobag area was not populated. In the period between 1683 and 1688 Bunjevacki Hravti populated the area. One of their surnames is also Devcic with the diacritical sihns: "v" on the first 'c' and "'" on the second 'c'.

If you follow the road from Karlobag down south you will pass through Mazarani, Rudelici, Lukovo Sugarje, Tomljenovic Zal, Krizac, Devcic Draga, Veliki Przunac, Baric Draga, Sveta Marija Magdalena, Lisarica and Timbanj-Kruscica.

DEVCIC DRAGA

Devcic Draga was the least populated in all of Croatia. One can just see the rocks, Rocky Mountains and much vegetation. These mountains reach the seaside. So Devcic Draga is just a few hours. The seaside is lovely, plenty of small gulfs (lagunas). But when one looks up he or she can just see naked rocks.

It is said that the fault of this is supposed to be of the Republic of Venice who were cutting woods there to build up their city and their vessels.

THE NAME TOMLJENOVIC

In 1631 there are Tomljenovic's in 20 households in Lic and 6 in Sunger. In 1633 they move to a territory between Ledencie and Senj, where in 1631 there are 130 households. During Vojna Krajina (Military Frontier) period prior (1881) they move to Velebit Littoral (Karlobag, Ledenik, Konjsko Kuciste, Staniste, Lukovo Sugarje and Crni Dabar) and here there were 70 households. This Bunjevac clan settle around Lika: Smiljan, Lovinance and Kromplje. And many families from the Tomljenovic clan had important positions in the area following the end of the military administration (1881). They move to Slavonija and large numbers come to Zagreb where even today they are quite numerous.

About 1680 all this abandoned territory was settled by Bunjevac's from the Krmpot and Mrzli Dol also Bunjevac's from the South. So far from the South of Karlobag were settled with Bacic's, Dandovic's, Grkinic's, Jelinc's, Matijevic's and Segota's and from North-West the families of Miletic's, Pavelic's, Prpic's and Tomljanovic's (Tomljenovic's). Besides these families we find coming to the Karlobag region also Cacic's, Dokozic's, Vrban's, Smojver's, Dosen's, Mazuran's, Baric's Marases, Troseljes and other Bunjevacs.

Tomljenovic's can be found in other European countries. They are most numerous in Hungry, Austria, Germany, France and Italy and outside Europe and South America, especially Canada, Asia and Australia. Dispersing of Bunjevac's to other countries and continents occured already in the 17th C, but in larger numbers in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

BUNJEVACI

While the first and second movements (year 1605 and 1627) of the Bunjevaci (tr.n: Hercegovina Croats) went over Lic, Novi and Senj hinterland, the third one goes instead over Velebit Littoral-Podgorie. This movement occurred in 1654. In these years the Bunjevaci settled in Senjska Draga, Melnice, Vratnik, Stolac, Biljevina, Volarice, Lukovo, then the shore from Senj to Klad, and into the mountains they went all the way to Oltar above Sveti Juraj (today Jurjevo at Senj). And from there in 1701 yet further toward east on fertile and abandoned fields called Krasno. Those belonged previously to Senj-Modrus bishopric. This territory was settled by the following families of Bejevaci Croats: Adzic, Babuk, Devcic, Rukavina, Vrban (this is only some of the names I have mentioned).

Then following the collapse of Turkish military power, the people of Lika started to disperse and many of these families crossed over to the other side of Velebit and there they formed new and even larger Bunjevaci settlements. According to the Military Frontier records all thse three movements brought to the territory of Gorski Kotar, Croatian Littoral and Lika a little over six and a half thousand Bunjevaci. This number is less than a quater of that of the Croats who abandoned Croatian Littorial and Lika, fleeing Turkish onslaught.

It is established that from Croatian Littoral alone, between Senj and Karlobag, more than 12000 Croats speaking cakavski were displaced by Turks! They moved to the Interior, above all to the territory where now live the Gradiscan Croats.

In the spring of 1654 St. Juraj was already settled with people from Bunjevci (large Krmpotsko village Bukovica which is today called Medvida) and these were people with the following surnames :Anici, Azici, Babici,
Buljevic, Devcic,Glavasevic,Katalinic, Margete, Melc, Mijaljevic, Milosevic, Miskulin, Nekic, Popovic, Rogic, Roucovic, Rukavin, Samarzije, Tomajic and Zarkovic. They also settled further south to Lukovo Sugarje.

Their next generation of descendants migrated further south toward Stari Grad, then further onto Jablanac and Bag. These migrations increased the Senj land ownership and usage as well as population. In these regions were the following surnames: Balenovic, Butorc, Krmpotic, Markovic, Matijevic,
Miletic, Milinkovic, Pecine, Stojevic i Vojnic (from 1605) and from 1627: Jovanovic, Krpan, Pavelic etc.

Another group were Primorci from Novograd to Kastva and islands Krk, Rab, Pag and from surrounding areas of Zadar.
At that time there were 70 houses in Lukovo Sugarje