Page 72 - Changing Living Spaces

Žarko Lazarević

Bela Krajina shows (Račič 1950–51, 142–58) – had already practically dis-
appeared before World War II.
On the other hand, handicrafts with added value in the form of aes-
thetic or even artistic connotations (e.g. lace-making) continued to flour-
ish. The scope and volume of lace-making continued to increase. This
craft already traditionally enjoyed strong support from the authorities
through organized and planned training, as well as the procurement of
patterns and organized marketing (Kravos-Lombar 1938, 212–4; Račič
1938, 235–43). Lace-making had a long tradition. The production and sale
of lace was already well established, and in the interwar period these ac-
tivities spread to Upper Carniola as well. In a way, lace-making was a reg-
ulated craft, as lace makers were provided with product samples and de-
sign made by professionals according to contemporary aesthetic and
artistic criteria as well as market requirements. Artists and profession-
al lace makers were an integral part of the process of promoting the pro-
duction, design and marketing of lace, all with generous support from the
government. The basketry example was similar in some ways: it shows
how effective agricultural income diversification strategies and practic-
es, combined with local initiatives, readily available raw materials, and
government support, can be in the long run. The examples from around
Ptuj and Radovljica bear witness to this (Ogorelec 1938, 233–4; Patik 1938,
251–6). However, cottage industries could also disappear, as the example
of agricultural textile production shows. On the other hand, they could
also reassert themselves, as seen in the example of toy production around
Velike Lašče after the First World War. The planned toy production was
the initiative of a few enterprising merchants who organized production
among the farmers, procured models and sold the toys on the Yugoslav
market (Markun 1943, 62).
Cottage industry certainly represented a significant share of the em-
ployment of the agricultural population – with differences across the re-
gions and strata, naturally. For the interwar period, realistic estimates
indicate that at least 25,000 people were permanently or periodically em-
ployed in craft production (Lavrič, Mal, and Stele 1939, 391), 5 percent of
the total agricultural population. If we also take into account hired la-
bour and seasonal migration, we can make an additional estimate that
before World War II the standard of living of at least a quarter of the ag-
ricultural population depended heavily on additional income from activ-
ities other than farming. This income was crucial to the economic equi-
librium of small farms. By encouraging the additional education of the

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