Primary School

The basic literacy education for children in Karlobag was provided for a long time by the Capuchin friars in the monastery because there was no state or public school. Such a way of introducing literacy included only a small number of children and depended on the abilities and good will of certain friars. Even the little education that the children received, bothered some chamber officials and military commanders so that in 1710 the people of Karlobag asked the Emperor Charles to ensure that the Capuchin friars continue to educate the neglected populace. What were the achievements of such literacy is clearly indicated by the Pittioni’s report from 1756 where he says that due to non-existence of a school general illiteracy prevails.

At the end of the rule of Empress Maria Theresa, by adopting the law and regulations in 1774 and 1777, in larger villages and towns public state schools were established. Implementing the laws and regulations, the military authority established such a school in Karlobag in 1780 at the latest. Where the school was located and how many pupils it had is entirely unknown. The language of instruction in the school was German.

Since 1821, there is much more information on the school because a protocol of received orders of the military and school authorities from 1821 to 1856 has been preserved, written exclusively in German. Moreover, from 1827 until 1875, an honours book was kept into which the names of particularly diligent and successful pupils in certain classes were entered.

The school year was divided into semesters and the start and the end of each semester was defined by the school authorities. The school did not have its own buildings, rather, the education took place in certain homes.

Stating the names of commended pupils for each class separately, the book of honourable pupils was signed by the school principal and the teacher and beside them, as co-signatories, there were often the town judge, i.e. later the head, religion teacher and the school supervisor. In this way, we know the names of all the school principals or directors and teachers in a period of almost 50 years. Until 1872, the teaching language was German. From the school year 1873/74, education in the Croatian language was introduced and the school was turned into a Civil Classroom.