Postojanje udruga jedan je od najreprezentativnijih pokazatelja određenog stupnja razvoja stanovnika na nekom području. Udruge (društva) su kroz povijest, a posebice danas, najuspješniji model po kojem određena skupina ljudi može ostvariti sveopći građanski razvoj. Visok stupanj urbaniteta, građanske i vjerske kulture ostvarivao se kroz djelovanja građanskih udruga i u podvelebitskom prostoru, od Senja na sjeveru do Lukova Šugarja na jugu. Osim građanskog sloja u Senju i Karlobagu, važnu ulogu u prosvjećivanju, sveopćem boljitku, ali i ostanku u zavičaju imali su i stanovnici podgorskih sela i zaselaka. U radu će se analizirati djelovanje raznih tipova udruga i zadruga poput čitaonica, strukovnih, gospodarskih, humanitarnih i sličnih udruga koje su osnovane i djelovale tijekom 19. i prve polovice 20. stoljeća u Svetom Jurju, Jablancu i Karlobagu. Središnje mjesto u razvoju civilnog društva zasigurno je imao Karlobag pa će se u radu nastojati prikazati upravo djelovanje građanskih udruga, počevši od jedne od najstarijih čitaonica u Hrvatskoj do posljednjih pokušaja njihova rada pred Drugi svjetski rat. Stoga ovaj članak daje jedan povijesni presjek društvenog i kulturnog života ovog demografski osiromašenog dijela republike Hrvatske.The existence of associations is one of the most representative indicators of a certain degree
of development of the inhabitants in a region. Associations (societies) have been through history,
and particularly today, the most successful model by which a certain group of people can achieve
overall civil development. A high degree of urbanity, civil and religious culture has also been
achieved through the activity of civic associations in the Podvelebit region, from Senj in the north
to Lukovo Šugarje in the south. Besides the civil stratum in Senj and Karlobag, the inhabitants of
the Podgorje villages and hamlets also had an important role in the enlightenment, overall wellbeing,
as well as the retention of people in the homeland. In the paper are analysed the activities
of various types of associations and cooperatives such as reading rooms, occupational, economic,
humanitarian and similar associations which were established and operated during the 19th and
the first half of the 20th century in Sveti Juraj, Jablanac and Karlobag. Karlobag, without doubt,
had the central place in the development of the civil society and so in the paper an attempt will
be made to represent the actual activity of the civic associations, beginning with one of the oldest
reading rooms in Croatia to their last attempts of work before the Second World War. Therefore,
this paper provides a historical cross-section of the social and cultural life of this demographically
impoverished part of the Republic of Croatia
