Gertrude Enderle-Burcel, Dieter Stiefel, Alice Teichova (Hrsg.): Sonderband 9. „Zarte Bande” – Österreich und die europäischen planwirtschaftlichen Länder / „Delicate Relationships” – Austria and Europe’s Planned Economies (2006)
Damir Jelic: “Living in the neighbourhood” - Economic Relations between Capitalist Austria and Socialist Croatia in Historical Perspective
“LIVING IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD” Economic Relations between Capitalist Austria and Socialist Croatia in Historical Perspective Damir Jelic Introduction How can we describe a typical relationship in a neighbourhood? Mostly, we see our neighbours every day but we do not know much about their private life. We learn from each other, exchange thousands of small information and influences, nevertheless it is hard to argue that we depend on each other. Occasionally but rather sporadically, we participate in some joint economic activities. I believe that, as a long-term relationship, the economic relations between Austria and Croatia can be best described with the words “living in the neighbourhood”. In order to support this thesis, I will provide a few illustrations of the economic history of the two countries. This paper will not be an in-depth analysis of the economic relations between the two neighbours, capitalist Austria and socialist Croatia. Long-term research was impossible for there is no literature specialised on this topic. The data and theses listed in the texts resulted from easily accessible statistical yearbooks as well as from interviews with people, very few specialised articles and studies, and parts of my research on the banking and financial history of the region. My knowledge and understanding of the Austrian economy is limited, thus this study observes the problem of the economic relations between Austria and Croatia from the Croatian point of view. This text is a compilation of short studies which illustrate the economic relations between Austria and Croatia in historical perspective. A few short chapters about the economic relations during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the inter-war years are also included in this text. Some observations about the future of this relationship arose from thinking about the problem. The Danube economic region during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Any analysis of the economic relations between the states in the region has to start with one sentence: We all live in the Danube economic region. Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs/Sonderband 9 245
