Editing Senj (section)

==History==

[[File:1888 Zengg 12kr Mg.jpg|thumb|95px|left|Kingdom of Hungary postage stamp, 1888, cancelled in Senj (Zengg).]]

Senj has apparently been inhabited since prehistoric times. Senj is an old settlement founded more than 3000 years ago on Kuk [[hill]], which is [[east]] of today's Senj.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Povijest grada {{!}} Grad Senj – Službene stranice Grada Senja |url=https://www.senj.hr/povijest-grada/ |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=www.senj.hr}}</ref>  A settlement called Athyinites or Athuinites (Αθυινιτες) in today's Senj was mentioned in [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] documents dated to the 4th century BC. <ref name=":0" /> The [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] tribes [[Iapodes]] and [[Liburnians]] inhabited the area as it was located in Illyria.

''Senia'' was a thriving town in the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] province of [[Dalmatia]], used by the Romans as a stronghold against the Illyrians in the 2nd century BC. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the [[Pannonian Avars|Avars]] and the [[Croats]] eventually settled here in the 7th century AD.

The Catholic [[diocese of Senj]] was established in 1169. King of [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] [[Béla III]] gave the town to the [[Knights Templar]] in 1184, and in 1271 it became the property of the [[Frankopan]] counts of [[Krk]].

In 1248 the bishop of Senj was allowed by [[Pope Innocent IV]] to use the [[Glagolitic alphabet]] and the [[Croatian language|vernacular]] in liturgy. A Glagolitic [[printing press]] was set up in 1494 and produced the ''[[Incunable|incunabula]]'' ''The Glagolic Missal'' and ''[[Spovid općena]]''.

The military captaincy of Senj was established in 1469 in order to defend against the invading [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] and [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] armies. The town sheltered thousands of refugees from nearby occupied areas. The [[Nehaj Fortress]] was completed in 1558 on the hill [[Nehaj]], which at the time was outside of town (today it is wholly within the town's borders.) 
Some of the Senj's towers; names were listed as Radomerić (east); Lipica and Pope Leo's (north); Ladarska, Gatska, and Šabac (west); and Zvancić, and Tulac (south).<ref name="Szabo">{{cite book |last1=Szabo |first1=Gjuro |title=Sredovječni gradovi u Hrvatskoj i Slavoniji |date=1920 |publisher=Matica hrvatska |location=Zagreb |pages=197-198}}</ref> 
The [[Ottoman wars in Europe|wars with the Ottomans]] lasted well into the 17th century. During this time the [[Uskoks]] lived in Senj and occupied its fortress. One of the most significant Uskoks was [[Ivo Senjanin]] (Ivo of Senj), who frequently launched expeditions against the Ottomans until his execution in 1612. They served an important purpose during the wars since they had small units of men rowing swift boats that proved to be very effective [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] forces. However, after the [[Uskok War]] with Venice, which ended in 1617, they were forbidden to settle in the area. Prince Radic was appointed Prince of Senj by king Rudolf emperor of Austria (1 December 1600). (Radic family) Native noble family from Lika region; members of the family were Uskok military leaders at the headquarters in Senj.

Notable polymath and writer [[Pavao Ritter Vitezović]] was born within the city walls in 1652, whose work later inspired the [[Illyrian movement]].

The 18th century brought some prosperity, especially with the construction of the ''[[Josephina (road)|Josephina]]'' (named after [[Emperor Joseph II]]) linking the Adriatic coast via Senj to [[Karlovac]]. The railway line built in 1873 between Fiume ([[Rijeka]]) and Karlovac did not pass by Senj which held back further development.

In March 1873, a [[savings bank]] opened in Senj.<ref name="Zrč1879c">{{cite book |date=1879 |orig-date=written November 1878 |first=Milovan |last=Zoričić |publisher=Kraljevski zemaljski statistički ured, 🖶 Dragutin Albrecht |chapter=Tvrdka, sjedište, početak poslovanja i dionička glavnica bankov. zavoda i štediona |pages=2–3 |chapter-url=https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb11386292?page=110 |title=Statistika vjeresijskih zavoda za godine 1847-1877 za godine 1847-1877 |location=Zagreb}}</ref>

Apart from a brief period as part of the [[Illyrian Provinces]] during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], the town was part of the [[Croatian Military Frontier]] (''District II'', {{lang|de|Ottochaner Regiment}}, right on the border with ''District III'', {{lang|de|Oguliner Regiment}}) within the [[Habsburg monarchy]] (from 1804 the [[Austrian Empire]], after the [[compromise of 1867]] [[Austria-Hungary]]).<ref>[[Josephinian land survey]], see [[:File:Josephinische Landaufnahme Karlstadter.jpg]]</ref><ref>Handbook of Austria and Lombardy-Venetia Cancellations on the Postage Stamp Issues 1850–1864, by Edwin MUELLER, 1961.</ref> When the frontier was dissolved in 1881 it became part of the [[Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia]] (itself within [[Transleithania]] and Austria-Hungary) where it was briefly part of the Lika-Otočac District<ref>[[:File:A Magyar Korona Orszagainak... (Carte de la Hongrie (Hongrie, Croatie et Esclavonie)) - (levée en plan, faite et dessinée par Ignace Hatsek) - btv1b530229718 (4 of 7).jpg]]</ref> (a transitional merger of Military Frontier districts I and II) before becoming part of [[Lika-Krbava County]] in 1886.

In 1929, an [[HKD Napredak]] branch was founded in Senj.{{sfn|Matić|2004|p=1185}}

In the fall of 1943, during [[World War II]], when [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Fascist Italy]] capitulated, the [[Partisans (Yugoslavia)|Partisans]] took control of Senj and used it as a supply port. Subsequently, the [[Luftwaffe]] started bombarding the town. By the end of the year they had demolished over half of the buildings in town and inflicted heavy civilian casualties.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=27787 |language = hr |title = Bombardiranje Senja zrakoplovima u Drugom svjetskom ratu |author=Mihael Sobolevski |date = December 1, 2003 |journal=The Review of Senj |publisher=City Museum Senj – Senj Museum Society |issn = 0582-673X}}</ref>