SUMMARY
The Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1878–1918) was marked, among other things, by the immigration of numerous officials, engineers, craftsmen, peasants and people of other professions from various parts of the Monarchy. A significant subgroup consisted of German peasants who in the last decades of 19th century settled in the fertile lands of northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially its northwestern parts. Despite initial difficulties, they became highly successful and enjoyed high agricultural productivity, which was achieved through hard work, perseverance, wise planning decisions as well as the use of modern agricultural machines. There was also aid coming from Germany and support offered by the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Soon after their arrival, the peasants began to build churches and schools, whereby they were helped by a Trappist monastery near Banja Luka. As a consequence, they managed to organize their social and cultural life and preserve their national identity. Among the German colonies, Windthorst and Rudolfstal near Banja Luka stood out, both in terms of their size and population, and in terms of agricultural output. Thanks to the German colonies, agricultural production in Bosnia and Herzegovina improved significantly.