History of Pasman Island

Source opcinapasman.hr

Pasman island was inhabited in the prehistoric period. The constant human presence continued in the ancient times and the earliest mention of the island was in the early Middle Ages. Numerous material remains of Roman architecture, preserved stone inscriptions and a considerable amount of coins, confirm the fact that the island was inhabited during the Roman rule in Dalmatia.

The name Pasman (Postimana) was first mentioned in rolls from 990. Byzantine emperor and travel writer Constantine Porfirogenet in his work ”De administrando imperio” recorded the medieval name of the island, although in Greek “Katan”, which would be closer to the present name of the town of Tkon.

Certain towns on the island, according to the data available so far, appear in the following order: Tkon in 950, Pasman in 990, Nevidjane in 1067, Banj in 1625, Dobropoljana in 1284, Barotul in 1309, Mrljane in 1343, Zdrelac in 1446, Punta Pasman in 1472.

In history as well as today, the population of the island of Pasman made their living with agriculture, oil-production, fishing. The following had its landed property on the island: Zadar archbishopric, Zadar Benedictines of Sv. Krsevan, certain citizens of Zadar and Biograd and later on Tkon Benedictines. Since 1392, there has been a Franciscan convent on Pasman Island in Kraj whose documents throw light on the history of this island.

After the fall of the Venetian Republic, Pasman, as well as the entire Dalmatia, falls under the French rule and then under the Austrian rule till the fall of the Monarchy and since 1918 it has constantly been a part of Croatia. Concerning the names of the Pasman villages, we have been able to trace them in written documents since the 10th century till the present day.