The collection “Croatian legal history 1790-1918“, consisting mostly of books from the early collection, is divided into three sections:
1. Sources
2. Legislative power
3. Judicial power

The rulers of the Habsburg dinasty were striving to subordinate Croatia to the principles of royal, and later enlightened absolutism. Croatians were forced to lead a joint struggle with Hungarians agains Vienna centralism.  In 1790 they succeeded in acquiring state independence from Joseph II. However, Austrian centralism was only replaced by Hungarian one.

Thus in the 19th century, the Croatian position within the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, notably within the circumstances of Croatian-Hungarian Agreement, was one of permanent struggle for preservation of its state and national individuality.

From the collection:

Croatian authors

Kukuljević Sakcinski, Ivan: Privilegia Libertas Regni Croatiae, Dalmatiae , Slavoniae, Zagreb, 1862.
Kukuljević Sakcinski, Ivan: Acta Croatica, Zagreb, 1863.
Šulek, Bogoslav: Naše pravice. Izbor zakonah, poveljah i spisah znamenitih za državno pravo Kraljevine dalmatinsko-hrvatsko-slavonske od 1202. do 1868., Zagreb, 1868,
Polić, Martin: Parlamentarna povijest Kraljevina Hrvatske, Slavonije i Dalmacije, Zagreb, 1899.
Tkalčić, Ivan: Povjestni spomenici slob. Kralj. grada Zagreba priestolnice kraljevine dalmatinsko-hrvatsko-slavonske, Zagreb, 1889.
Strohal, Ivan: Statuti primorskih gradova i općina, Zagreb, 1911.
Tomašić, Nikola: Temelji državnoga prava hrvatskoga kraljevstva , Zagreb, 1910.
Smičiklas, Tade: Diplomatički zbornik Kraljevine Hrvatske, Dalmacije i Slavonije, Zagreb, 1910.
Šišić, Ferdo: Hrvatski saborski spisi, Zagreb, 1912.
Laszowski, Emilij: Habsburški spomenici kraljevine Hrvatske, Dalmacije i Slavonije, Zagreb, 1914. 

Foreign authors

Westenbergii, J.O.: Jcti et antecessoris principia juris, Wiennae, 1755.
Szegedi: Tripartitum juris Hungarici, Zagabriae, 1762.
Verböczy, S.: Extractus.. tripartiti juris, Pestini 1800.
Zeiler, Franz Edlen: Commentar über das allgemeine bürger. Gesetzbuch für die gesammten deutschen Erbländer der Österreichishcne Monarchie. Wien-Triest, 1812.
Hupka, Kristophs: Sätze über das peinliche Recht nach der Theresianschen Halsgerichtsordnung mit angehängten Abweichungen vom Karolinschen Rechte. Wien, 1874. (gotica)
Collectio benignarum normalium resolutionum caesareo-regiarum, Pestini, 1785.
Szlemenics, Paulo: Discussio opusculi, cui nomen: Ratio Jurisprudentie Hungaricae ad ductum institutionum kelemenianarum, Posonii, 1817.
Deglivellio, Antonio: Saggio d uno studio storico-critico …di Ragusa, Ragusa, 1873.
Pellegrini-Danielli, Cesare: Sulla colonia Dalmata, Zara, 1896.

The 19th century found Croatia divided into a civil and military part. The military part of Croatia, the so called Vojna krajina, was as early as during Maria Theresa times, enlarged to Slavonian Posavina, with German language as offical language and Austrian legislation in effect. The civil part – the Kingdom of Croatia – was then for the first time subordinated to Hungary and its rule. The city of Rijeka had a separate political status, while the coast from Trieste to Senj was under Austria (Austrian Coast). Dalmatia was under Venice until 1797, and Dubrovnik became a part of Dalmatia in 1814.

After the breakdown of the Hungarian revolution and following the uprising in Croatia, the Austrian empire underwent a reform. As a constitutional and hereditary monarchy it consisted of the following kingdoms:
- the Kingdom of Dalmatia, Croatia and Slavonia with the Croatian coast and the city of Rijeka;
- the Hungarian Kingdom;
- the Erdelj County; and
- Military region (Vojna krajina) – Croatian and Hungarian military regions as a single unit.

In 1850 Croatia had a new structure of political administration with the Ban heading the Ban's cabinet, and with independence in administrative, judicial and educational issues. Croatian language became offical.



Based on the Austro-Hungarian Agreement of 1867, two independent states were formed: countries of the St. Stephen's realm and Austrian lands (Austrian Empire), with joint government. Austria kept Dalmatia and left Croatia to achieve a mutualy negotiated agreement with Hungary. On the basis of the Hungaro-Croatian Agreement of 1868 both countries formed a single entity on the outside, while in internal affairs each of them presented a separate political unit. The issue of Rijeka was not settled.

Bosnia and Herzegovina were under Turkish rule. At the Berlin Congress in 1878, European powers empowered Austro-Hungarian Monarchy to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina stayed occupied until Franz Joseph I proclaimed their annexation to the Monarchy.

From the collection:

Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, general

Handbuch aller unter der Regierung des Kaisers Joseph des II für die K.K. Erblände erganenen Verordnungen Gesetze in sistematischen Verbindung, Wien, 1785-1790.
Sammlung der Gesetze unter der glorreichsten Regierung der König Leopold II, Wien, 1790-1792.
Zeiller, Franz Edlen: Vorbereitung zur neuesten Österreichischen Gesetzkunde im Stra- und Civil- Justizsache …, Wien und Triest, 1810.
Sammlung der Gesetze welche unter der glorreichsten Regierung der Kaiser Franz des II, Wien, 1792. -1848.

Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia

Dnevnik Sabora Trojedne kraljevine Dalmacije, Hrvatske i Slavonije 1861.-1887.
Stenografički zapisnici Sabora Kraljevine Hrvatske, Slavonije i Dalmacije
1887-1918.
Sbornik zakona za Kraljevinu Hrvatsku i Slavoniju 1863.-1926.
Sbornik Ugarsko-hrvatskih skupnih zakonah 1871.-1917.
Zemaljsko-zakonski i vladni list za Krunovinu Horvatsku i Slavoniu 1850.-1859.
List zakonah i spisah vlade za Krunovinu Dalmaciu 1849.-1916.
Raccolta delle leggi ed ordinanze per la Dalmazia dell anno 1819-1848.

Vojna krajina (Military region)

Zbirku zakonah i naredabah za Vojnu Krajinu, 1871.
List zemaljske uprave za Hrvatsko -slavonsku vojnu krajinu 1872-1881.
Militär-Gränitz-Rechten… für das Karlstädter und Varasdiner-Generalat, Wien, 1754. (gotica)
Stopfer, M.: Erläuterungen der Grundgesetze für die Carlstädter-Warasdiner Militär Gränze, Wien, 1831.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Zbornik zakona i naredaba za Bosnu i Hercegovinu 1881.-1922.
Zbirka naredaba za šeriatske sudove u Bosni i Hercegovini 1878-1900.
Sammlung der Gesetze für Bosnien und die Hercegovina 1878-1880.

Other countries

Gesetze … für das österreichisch-ilirische Küstenland 1883-1914.
Deželni zakonik … za Kranjsko Kronovino 1849-1914.
Zakonnik zemsky ralovstvi Českeho 1883-1914.
Landesgesetz... für das Königreich Galizien … 1883-1908.
Landesgesetz... für das Herzogthum Steiermark 1883-1913.

Following a judicial reform in 1850, the Banski stol court was formed as a higher land court with appelate jurisdiction. During the times of absolutism appeals on the decisions of this court were filed with the Supreme Cassational Court in Vienna. Until the dissolution of the Austrian consulate in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Banski stol court decided on appeals on their decisions as well.

In 1862 the Royal Chamber of Seven was founded in Zagreb as a supreme court of the Kingdom of Dalmatia, Croatia and Slavonia, presided over by the Ban.

From the collection:

Croatia

Ustanovljenja u pogledu privremene uredbe o sudovah za Krunovinu Hrvatsku i Slavoniu, Beč, 1850.
Političko i sudbeno razdijeljenje Kraljevine Hrvatske i Slavonije 1889.
Zakon o mjesnim sudovima 1876.

Statistički pregled odnošajah u kr. zemalj.kaznionah Hrvatske i Slavonije 1885.-1894.
Vrbanić, Fran: Statistika kaznenoga pravosuđa za godine 1863-1876.
Tauffer, Emil: Obrtni odnošaji u kralj. zemaljskih kaznionah kraljevinah Hrvatske i Slavonije. Povodom Zemaljske izložbe u Budimpešti godine 1885., Zagreb, 1885.
Hinković: Odvjetnički red od 1852. sa tičućimi se pojedinih ustanovah zakoni i naredbami, Zagreb, 1883.

Accurti, Milan: Rješidbe kr. stola sedmorice kao suda kasacialnoga, Zagreb, 1907.
Indeks načelnih i važnijih civilnih rješidbi kr. Stola sedmorice, Zagreb, 1913.
Načelne rješitbe kr. financ.upravnoga sudišta 1890-1895.
Ogorelica, Nikola: Kazneno procesualno pravo s osobitim obzirom na judikaturu kr. stola sedmorice i Kasacionoga suda bečkoga. Zagreb, 1899.

Austria

Edlen von Kess, Franz George: Kommentar über Josephs des Zweiten allgemeine Gerichtsordnung, Wien, 1789.
Winner, Jakob: Normalien-Sammlung für Militär Gerichte 1857-1877. (gotica)
Novak, R.: Entscheidungen des k.k. Obersten Ferichtshofes in Civilsachen, Wien, 1887-1902.
Entscheidungen des k.k. Obersten Gerichts als Cassationshofes…,Wien, 1990-1918.