Филателиста

22 Nm = z-—ŽZ2II a a aa LL III–Z–Summary ORIGIN OF THE POST TRAFFICON THE BORDER RIVERS IN SERBIA IN THE XIX CENTURY Slobodan Sotra

The renewal ofthe Serbian state atthe commencement ofthe XIX century caused the necessity of arranging the post traffic with the other countries. It involved carrying of the official post of diplomatic and commercial character, mostly for the needs of the state authority of the then Serbia.

Where the geographic conditions allowed, the road traffic was used. Being that Serbia was bordered by three rivers (the Danube, Sava and Drina) in the XIX century, carrying of post consignments across the water border was the only possibility of realizing communication with the neighbouring and other countries. With Austria across the rivers Danube and Sava, with Wallachia over the Danube and across the majority portion of the border with Bosnia over the river Drina. The state water border was moved according to the territorial expansion of Serbia. By the Sultan's edict of the year 1833, six till then not liberated districts were ađoined.Thus were united to Serbia the Krajina and Podrinje districts in which way was modified the border of the year 1815 and created the new one on the Danube with Wallachia, while extended the border on the Drina with Bosnia.

The shipping along the Danube and Sava towards Austria enabled the establishment of highly needed diplomatic, commercial and cultural relations of Serbia with the western world. In the light ofthat, the arrangement and control ofthe river trafficon the border represented the priority task ofthe Serbian authority from the first day of the struggle for independence.

In view ofthe insufficiently developed means oftransport by water available in the Serbia inthe first half of the XIX century, the traffic along the rivers was not possible. The commencement of the river traffic in Serbia represented the organized transport of people, cargo and post from the one river bankto the other. Such a transport was carried out initially per necessity, and afterwards regularly, from the determined places – called ferry places (piers) distributed along the Serbian coast. On the water border of Serbia existed the following ferry places:

- With Austria, except the Belgrade pier, on the Danube:

Ram, Smederevo, Grocka, Visnjica;

on the Sava: Ostruznica, Sabac, Mitrovica;

- with Wallachia, on the Porecka river, Porec, and from the year 1833 on the Danube: Tekija, Kladovo, Radujevac;

- with Bosnia, on the Drina: Raca, Ljubovija, and starting from the year 1833 also Sepacka Ada.

The mentioned ferry places were under the Serbian control from the very start, except the Belgrade pier which was passed over to the Serbs by the Turks due to its geographic position (international road) and the volume ofthe performed traffic only in the year 1833.

The diverse means of transport by waterways Was used: ferries (most numerous), vessels (larger boats) and smaller boats. The survey and work on ferry boats was entrusted to ferrymen (in the capacity of the state officers). Beside them were also employed : customs officers, boatmen, clerks and serving men.Work coordination and command over all the ferry boats was performed by the supreme authority in Serbia, on the part of the Prince himself, by adopting decrees and

written instructions on work.