Undivided Family Households of Konavle

Undivided family households [1] were found all over the Balkans, dating back hundreds of years. The names they used for their groups varied by geographical location.

In Konavle an undivided family household is called velika kuća or velika korta. These terms mean “big houses” and “big courtyards” respectively but other English terms could be “extended families” or “communal family households” or “cooperative family households”.

In these communities, descendants of one patriarch shared the same household. These were usually brothers but could also include male first cousins, and sometimes more distant relatives, with their wives and children. There was joint ownership of property, house, land, and animals. 

Borković family of Močići, 1921

These communities were governed by a domaćin (head man). He would be chosen by the adult members of the extended family group from among the able adult men in the family. These men were not necessarily married, but if they were married, the head man’s wife could not be the domaćica (head woman or head matron) of the house. Therefore, a wife of another man from the house would be chosen as the domaćica. This method avoided situations where one couple in the family had more authority than others.

The qualities of the head man had to benefit the entire community. He had to be wise, economical, capable, and above all just, so that peace reigned in the community. He made financial decisions, and represented the entire extended family in all external affairs. The household members asked him for everything they needed, and for blessings and permissions as well. Although he may seem to have been autocratic, the head man always consulted the other household members, and worked just like all the other members of the family as long as he was physically able.

Đuro “Đuran” Metković family of Mikulići, 1932

The domaćica was the woman most concerned about the distribution of food throughout the year. She organized supplies and planned meals for everyone. In addition, she was consulted about all household chores. She discussed purchases with the head man, and took care of all the needs within the house. The life and survival of the community depended on the abilities of the domaćin and domaćica.

All other family members had their roles and responsibilities according to their abilities and age. Jobs were divided into women's jobs and men's jobs. Children learned skills from all their older family members from a young age. It was known who took care of the livestock, who took care of the children, who made shoes, drying racks and baskets. Even today, it is said in jest that Konavle communal houses even had their own representatives to attend funerals.

Everyone participated in the production and processing of food and goods in these communities. Surpluses were managed by the community. If crops were plentiful, these communities were economically independent and self-sustaining.

They all worked together during the agricultural season. But when farm work was over, they would work at other jobs that were necessary to sustain the community. Men would build houses, yards and drywalls. Or they would make household baskets and donkey baskets and racks for drying figs and raisins. They would go hunting and fishing and repair the tools they used throughout the year. Year-round, women were busy washing clothes, sewing, patching, spinning, weaving and other household jobs. Girls were taught all the textile-related skills from a young age in order to prepare all their clothes by the time they got married — clothes that they would wear for the rest of their lives. They would also raise silkworms to produce silk for their embroidery. Also see our blog Konavle Embroidery.

Obradović family of Dunave

Division. The family would live in the same household and under the same roof until conditions were no longer sufficient for living together. This most often happened when two brothers could not get along, or when a younger brother wanted to be on his own and the community was prosperous enough to allow him to split from the household.

At that time, the community would separate into two branches. Each brother would then be the domaćin (head man) of their respective families, and everything that the communal family owned together would be divided.

This type of division would necessarily result in the house being physically divided so that each branch had its own entrance and interior separating walls. Or, if the house hadn’t enough room, another house was built by extending out from an exterior wall of the original house. If neither of these methods was acceptable, a separate house was built nearby on the family land.

When an extended family was in an economic crisis, the younger male members would often leave the household for outside work. Until the middle of the 19th century they would go to sea or to other jobs in the Mediterranean. Later they would go to the Americas to work in mines or at any jobs they could find. Emigrating from Konavle meant working and sending money back home to support their families. Many returned home but many also remained in the outside world and became founders of the Konavle diaspora.

The communal households of Konavle began to fall apart after World War II. Due to the after-war changes in societies, and employment being available in Dubrovnik and in other parts of Konavle, brothers would sometimes divide the communal houses. 

At the onset of the Homeland War in October of 1991, the inhabitants of Konavle fled to Cavtat and Dubrovnik, and all of Konavle was then occupied by the Yugoslav army. When the army left in October 1992, many houses were burned, including many of the large communal houses.

The last undivided families disappeared at this time. Their houses were rebuilt in such a way that separate housing units were formed within the houses for branches of the communal families. That's how Konavle lost its last Big Houses, but all Konavle families know stories from that time, some sweet, some bitter but all part of their history.

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[1.] In the field of social science, undivided family households are often referred to as zadrugas. But the groups themselves never referred to themselves by that name. The names they called themselves varied per geographical location. In Konavle it was velika kuća.