Refugees from Herzegovina (1875-1878) in the Boka Kotorska bay and Konavli in the light of new data

The insurrection in Herzegovina influenced neighboring areas too. The 1875-1878 events in Herzegovina and Bosnia received a lot of coverage in the literature, except for the subject of the people and refugees' (who escaped Herzegovina and moved to the Boka Kotorska and Konavli) suffering and hard life. Also, very little attention is given to the individuals who attempted to help the refugees in the troubled times. This paper is based on unpublished archive sources from the State Archive of Monte Negro, Cetinje archive department of Herceg Novi, that is, archive funds of the municipalities of Herceg Novi, Risan and Topalj, and on unpublished writings of Veljko Lombardich who played a significant role in aiding the rebellions and refugees. The paper provides numerous data on the work and activities of many Committees who had helped the refugees in supplying food, clothes money, arms and munitions, care and aid of the church officials of the Boka Kotorska, education of school children; in addition, there are data on the relationship of Austrian government toward the refugees and so on. The number of refugees was considerably large, in 1876, according to the official data, was over five thousand in the municipality of Herceg Novi which at the time, had around eight thousand inhabitants. A help by Orthodox Serbs, and others from Trieste, Odessa, Americas, Novi Sad, Belgrade Osijek, Timisoara was sent to the rebellions and refugees, and it was decisive for their survival