Mošćenice

History

Its history dates back to the prehistory when Liburnians settled here. They were cattle breeders and seamen, known for their fast rowing boats. Istria was conquered by the Romans after two military campaigns in 177 BC, calling the region Liburnia, part of the province of Dalmatia. With the end of the 6th century, Croats arrived and built their first permanent settlement in Liburnia around the year 620. Istria was annexed by the Franks during the reign of Pepin the Short in 789, But Liburnia became part of the State of Croatia. When this state fell, Liburnia and thus also Mošćenice became part of the Holy Roman Empire. The village was for the first time mentioned as an independent community with its own statute in 1374 in the testament of Count Ugona of Duina, written in German. Mošćenice was mentioned again, this time in Glagolitic-script, in document delineating boundaries between Moscenice and Kosljak. Mošćenice was ruled by Polish bishops, the Counts of Duina and then the Counts of Walse. Mošćenice came under the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III when the Counts of Walse transferred their estate to him. In 1637 Mošćenice was awarded its own City Statute. In the same year, the city was transferred into the possession of the Jesuits of Rijeka. This ended in 1773. During a short period 1801 -1813, by the Treaty of Schönbrunn, Mošćenice was part of the Napoleonic Illyrian Provinces and therefore nominally part of the French Empire. When the French troops were chased away by the Austrian troops in 1813, Mošćenice became part of the Austrian Empire until the end of the first World War. In 1896, Mošćenice became an independent municipality as part of the Austrian province.