On the ground floor of this building before the First World War, there was a bakery that was the second largest in the Balkans. It delivered several tons of bread a day for the needs of the army in Boka. Production at that time was extremely advanced, automated and steam-powered. Raw materials were coming by ship from Trieste to the port of Risan and from there transported daily in both directions. Flour, yeast and salt went to Crkvice, while ready-made, freshly baked loaves of bread went to Boka. 

The military camp of Crkvice was a world unto itself, isolated in a karst backwater, with an unpleasant climate in winter, separated from the rest of the colorful world from the coast. If you thought this was a boring place, filled with impersonal military barracks, military routine and blue uniforms, it was not like that.  

After the end of their regular duties, the recruits in this town liked to gather in the afternoon at the training ground or to play football, on the meadow in front of the stables. Often very good football matches happened and then Crkvice would resound with the shouts of thousands of fans from the stands, which could be heard even to the nearby fortresses Kom and Stražnik. 

In the summer, people also went to the bowling alleys, a place for socializing with coffee, tea and the famous Viennese cakes, which officers’ ladies brought from Risan freshly prepared. Officers rested with newspaper that had just arrived from Vienna, commenting on the latest political or military topics, while the ladies were having conversations about fashion or running a household.