Assessing the Impact: Mortality from Infectious Disease in Trnava (1911 - 1941) through a Medical Geography Lens

Authors

  • Predrag Premović Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Daniela Arsenović Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Dragoslav Pavić Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Vladimir M. Cvetković Department of Disaster Management and Environmental Security, Faculty of Security, University of Belgrade, Gospoda Vučića 50, 11040 Belgrade, Serbia;5Safety and Disaster Studies, Department of Thermal Processing Technology, Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering, University of Montana, 8700 Leoben, Austria
  • Tin Lukić Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18485/ijdrm.2025.7.2.3

Keywords:

infectious diseases, mortality, epidemic, medical geography, Trnava

Abstract

This study examines mortality from infectious diseases in the Municipality of Trnava between 1911 and 1941. Conducted at the Historical Archive in Kraljevo (Serbia), the research employs historical-demographic, medical-geographic, and demographic-statistical methods. The Municipality of Trnava existed from 1839 to 1945 and encompassed six villages situated between the southeastern slopes of Golija and the Raska River valley. Analyzing the determinants of health, the population in the early decades of the 20th century faced significant challenges, including poverty, unsanitary living conditions, limited access to education, and high illiteracy rates. These adverse conditions were exacerbated by the wartime environment from 1912 to 1918, which further deteriorated living standards. The concentration of a large population in restricted areas accelerated the rapid spread of infectious diseases. The typhus epidemic in early 1915 and the Spanish flu pandemic at the end of World War I led to substantial mortality in the municipality. Local epidemics of scarlet fever, diphtheria, dysentery, and smallpox also affected mortality. This study enhances our understanding of the historical dynamics of infectious disease mortality, highlighting the interplay between environmental, geopolitical, and socio-economic determinants of health in comparable contemporary contexts.

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Published

2025-12-24

How to Cite

Premović, P., Arsenović, D., Pavić, D., Cvetković, V. M., & Lukić, T. (2025). Assessing the Impact: Mortality from Infectious Disease in Trnava (1911 - 1941) through a Medical Geography Lens. International Journal of Disaster Risk Management, 7(2), 33–50. https://doi.org/10.18485/ijdrm.2025.7.2.3

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025): International Journal of Disaster Risk Management

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Copyright (c) 2025 Predrag Premović, Daniela Arsenović, Dragoslav Pavić, Vladimir M. Cvetković, Tin Lukić

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