The State Archives in Gospić, Croatia/ University of Zadar, Croatia
Znanstveno utemeljen i metodički relevantan sveučilišni udžbenik o usmenoj književnosti Istre i Hrvatskog primorja – značajan prilog proučavanju zavičajne književnosti
Copyright (c) 2026 dr. sc. Sanja Vrcić-Mataija https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2026 dr. sc. Tin Lemac https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2026 dr. sc. Ante Gverić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2026 dr. sc. Ivana Kurtović Budja https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Majstorska cesta Across Velebit: The Interplay of Architectural Heritage, Historical Legacy, and Archival and Philatelic Sources Along the Lovinac – Podprag – Obrovac Route
Majstorska cesta across Velebit is one of the most important historical transport routes in Croatia and an exceptional example of early modern road engineering. As the first modern trans-Velebit road, constructed at the beginning of the nineteenth century, it provided a permanent land connection between the continental and coastal parts of the country, substantially improving commercial, military, and postal traffic within the Habsburg Monarchy along the Vienna–Zadar route. This paper analyzes the construction and technical characteristics of the route and the engineering in the demanding Velebit terrain. In addition to the roadway, particular attention is given to the accompanying roadside structures, such as the Church of St. Francis in Podprag, which stands out as a representative Neoclassical achievement. Combining transport infrastructure with functional and symbolic elements illustrates the historical importance of Podprag as a transport, administrative, and spiritual center found along the route. The paper also analyzes the landscape features and the symbolic meaning of the areas of Tulove grede and the Mali Alan pass. A particularly important factor is the use of philatelic sources, such as illustrated postcards, postage stamps, and vignettes, to reconstruct the historical and visual perception of the Majstorska cesta. Philatelic sources are deemed a valuable record of communication and cultural history. The importance of an interdisciplinary approach to researching the facts surrounding Majstorska cesta as a complex phenomenon entailing historical, architectural, and identity aspects is highlighted in the research, and incorporates historical analysis, archival sources, archaeology, epigraphy, philatelic sources, architectural heritage, and cartographic sources.
Copyright (c) 2026 Marin Buovac https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Lovinac Post Office in the Period from April to September 1941
In historiography generally, as in postal history, heightened interest is sparked by periods of profound social change, such as the onset and end of armed conflicts, as well as the collapse of old states or the establishment of new ones. The spring and summer in 1941 was one such period, when the Nazi forces attacked the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, leading to its rapid disintegration, and the subsequent creation of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), which was also tied to the Italian army entering the territory of Lika. This paper provides an overview of the changes affecting postal transport at the Lovinac Post Office from April to September 1941, drawing on philatelic sources in the possession of the author and other collectors. The military and political currents and events in the Lovinac area at that time are concisely described to gain historical and social contextualization.
Copyright (c) 2026 Davor Šarić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Turistička prezentacija baštine Srednje Like
This paper examines the presentation of Central Lika’s heritage in its tourism. Central Lika comprises the local self-government units of the City of Gospić, the Municipality of Lovinac, and the Municipality of Perušić. The fact that more than one-third of Central Lika is covered by protected natural areas, with only a small share of the total national cultural goods, suggests a stronger emphasis on the protection of natural heritage than on cultural heritage. This is partly due to the low level of urbanization and extensive preservation of natural environments. The paper investigates, using quantitative and qualitative analysis, the presentation of heritage in tourism, the relative presentation of natural and cultural heritage as reflected in the predominant motifs in promotional tourism publications, and determines whether this connection corresponds to the actual ratio of protected natural areas and cultural goods located in Central Lika. For this purpose, postcards, printed brochures, and tourist board websites were analyzed as typical forms of tourism publications. The results show that a greater presence of protected natural heritage in Central Lika is mostly found in tourism brochures, whereas websites offer a more balanced overview of both natural and cultural heritage. Moreover, the connection between the presented natural and cultural heritage corresponds to the actual ratio of protected natural areas and cultural goods in Central Lika.
Copyright (c) 2026 Iva Baburić, Ivana Crljenko https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Tomičić Brothers – Lika’s Generals in the Austro-Hungarian Army
Ante Starčević’s political activities propagated the Croatian national idea in Dalmatia. This paper is a concise overview of the political climate and the emergence of the Party of Rights movement (pravaštvo) in Dalmatia. The newspapers at that time in Zadar, the capital of the Austrian province of Dalmatia, are the primary sources for tracing the dissemination of the underlying ideas advocated by the Party of Rights. These newspapers served as direct mouthpieces of political groups and are therefore suitable for investigating the course of ideological currents. The author analyses articles from editorial boards that imbued various ideologies to convey the views of Ante Starčević and his associated movement, Starčević’s ideas, leading up to the elections for the Croatian Parliament (Sabor) in 1884. Narodni list did not fully accept the ideas of the Party of Rights due to divergences based on the political programs of Starčević and Strossmayer, the patron of the People’s Party (Narodna stranka) in Dalmatia. However, the paper equally supported and agitated for Croatian opposition parties, both the independence advocates (neodvišnjaci) and the followers of the Party of Rights, within the electoral process, in opposition to Khuen’s ruling pro-Hungarian party. The newspaper Katolička Dalmacija, edited by Don Ivo Prodan, a Catholic priest, was transformed from a religious periodical in Italian to a publication distinctly clerically aligned with the Party of Rights in Croatian. The autonomist periodical Il Dalmata, in advocating its own autonomist and pro-Italian policies, gave a relatively negative assessment of the activities of Starčević’s followers. The Dalmatian public became more familiar with the ideas of the Party of Rights in the 1880s, a period when the Party’s popularity grew, and political fighting within the Croatian Sabor intensified.
Copyright (c) 2026 Boris Trnski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Pictorial Representation of the Plitvice Lakesin the 18th and 19th Centuries
Although the Plitvice Lakes are world-renowned, much has been written about them, the number of topics superficially or inadequately treated is surprising. One such theme is the visual presentations created in the period when cameras still did not exist or were rare. These visuals of the Plitvica Lakes contain artistic and documentary value, and analyzing the visuals provides valuable insight that complements written records.
Copyright (c) 2026 Kazimir Miculinić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Reception of the Party of Rights’ Election Agitation for the 1884 Croatian Diet in the Zadar Newspapers
Ante Starčević’s political activities propagated the Croatian national idea in Dalmatia. This paper is a concise overview of the political climate and the emergence of the Party of Rights movement (pravaštvo) in Dalmatia. The newspapers at that time in Zadar, the capital of the Austrian province of Dalmatia, are the primary sources for tracing the dissemination of the underlying ideas advocated by the Party of Rights. These newspapers served as direct mouthpieces of political groups and are therefore suitable for investigating the course of ideological currents. The author analyses articles from editorial boards that imbued various ideologies to convey the views of Ante Starčević and his associated movement, Starčević’s ideas, leading up to the elections for the Croatian Parliament (Sabor) in 1884. Narodni list did not fully accept the ideas of the Party of Rights due to divergences based on the political programs of Starčević and Strossmayer, the patron of the People’s Party (Narodna stranka) in Dalmatia. However, the paper equally supported and agitated for Croatian opposition parties, both the independence advocates (neodvišnjaci) and the followers of the Party of Rights, within the electoral process, in opposition to Khuen’s ruling pro Hungarian party. The newspaper Katolička Dalmacija, edited by Don Ivo Prodan, a Catholic priest, was transformed from a religious periodical in Italian to a publication distinctly clerically aligned with the Party of Rights in Croatian. The autonomist periodical Il Dalmata, in advocating its own autonomist and pro-Italian policies, gave a relatively negative assessment of the activities of Starčević’s followers. The Dalmatian public became more familiar with the ideas of the Party of Rights in the 1880s, a period when the Party’s popularity grew, and political fighting within the Croatian Sabor intensified.
Copyright (c) 2026 Filip Lenić, mag. educ. hist. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Milan Japunčić. Intelektualac i Veliki rat: dnevnički zapisi iz ruskog zarobljeništva gimnazijskog profesora Milana Japunčića (1916. – 1918.).
Copyright (c) 2025 Marko Kolić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Ivica Mataija https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Conversion of Historical objects from The Aspect of Project Management using the Example of the Murković Mill in Gospić
Within the framework of the profession of project management, this paper points to the existing potential for the conversion of an individual historical object among the many that the republic of Croatia possesses. The research conducted, based on methods and tools applicable in project management, has proven that the revitalization of objects is possible, primarily due to resolved ownership relations. Many architectural objects that once had great significance in the past are today mostly not recognized by the general public because they do not belong to the tourist and culturally exploited heritage. The research focuses on the Murković Mill in the city of Gospić, whose conversion would create a new socially and culturally recognized space with a museum-gallery function. The paper attempts to touch on the first phase, namely the definition of the project and its goals, through a conceptual design solution. The potentials that could result in success in the Lika region itself and the city of Gospić are emphasized. From a project management perspective, this project would be recognizable as a tourism phenomenon in the republic of Croatia, through which younger generations would be introduced and tourism workers would be educated.
Gospić, Murković Mill, conversion, revitalisation, ownership
Copyright (c) 2025 Marin Vlahov https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sources for the Study of Relations between Lika and Northern Dalmatia in the Period from the Middle Ages to the Beginning of The 20th Century in The State Archives in Zadar
Based on research conducted on the archival materials of the State Archives in Zadar, the paper presents an overview of some of the written sources whose content covers historical events in the Lika region, which were created in the time span from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. Given the wide time span it covers, the presented overview is compiled on the basis of a general overview of the archival materials, whereby through the presentation of selected examples of documents, official letters and other records, it attempts to point out to researchers the relevant archival funds and collections as sources for studying the relationship between Lika and the northern Dalmatian region, and to present several guidelines for their search. Among the researched materials, they singled out thematic units relating to is sues of church jurisdiction over the area of medieval Lika, as well as those that testify to the presence of residents of the Lika-Krbava region in the area of the Zadar municipality in the Middle Ages. Furthermore, a large part of the researched materials covers the issue of determining the line of demarcation between two neighboring areas – Lika and Dalmatia, which extends through different time periods, or administrative periods of Dalmatian history. The regulation of mutual grazing rights, forest use, and the general coexistence of border populations is directly related to the aforementioned topics. research into archival funds and collections has also identified materials related to the course of economic events and the formation of the transport system, i.e. to issues of trade, road construction or, for example, the development of postal traffic.Further access to archival material, as well as the method of its future study, of course, depends on the issues that are at the center of the researcher’s interests. Since various thematic data are very often intertwined and complemented by mul tiple archival units, or funds, as well as periods of different administrations, it is of great importance to gain a basic understanding of the functioning and docu mentation organization system of the individual institutions through whose work the material was created, which, together with the studied literature and previous knowledge on the topic, will direct the research more precisely.
Lika, Krbava, Dalmatia, archival materials, State Archives in Zadar
Copyright (c) 2025 Anamaria Perović https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Verson Family Photography Activity in Gospić
This paper examines the development of photography activity in Gospić starting from the 1870s onward, focusing on the work of numerous photographers, from amateur and travelling photographers to those documenting everyday life and those for whom photography was a professional occupation. In a series of strong photographic names, which among first appeared in Lika, such as Ivan Standl and rudolf Mosinger, the surname Verson is particularly noted, mostly for their long-term and continuous work. Originally from Italy, trained as a watchmaker in Senj, Francesco Verson set out into the world where he met with all the charms of a photographic camera. After a short stay on the island of Hvar where he started his independent photography business, about 1893 he moved and settled permanently in Gospić and „from watchmaker Francesco he became photographer Franjo“. After thirty years of active work, Francesco’s sons, juraj and Anton, con tinued their father’s photography business and social engagement, expanding their operations beyond Gospić and Lika by opening branches in Korenica and Senj. Over the course of two generations, the Versons have been active in Gospić for over half a century, and during that time they have created thousands of images where they have objectively captured the most significant events and famous persons who visited Gospić, as well as countless private moments and portraits of their fellow citizens.
photo, Verson, photographer, Gospić, studio
Copyright (c) 2025 Vladimir Šulentić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Lika General Martin Vrkljan von Pilar (1860 – 1937)
Croats have a rich and distinguished military history and tradition, yet many aspects of it remain insufficiently explored. One of the best examples of this legacy is the group of Croatian generals and admirals who brought fame to Croatian soldiers on battlefields across Europe. Among them was Martin Vrkljan von Pilar, an Austro-Hungarian Army lieutenant field marshal, originally from Pilar near St. roch (Sv. rok). Like other generals from the Lika region, he earned his ranks on the battlefield, particularly during World War I, for which he was awarded two high decorations for bravery and leadership in combat. These honors also secured him a noble title. He demonstrated his loyalty to his birthplace by choosing the noble predicate „von Pilar“, derived from his native village. His Croatian patriotism was further expressed through his active membership in the society „Brethren of the Croatian Dragon“, for which he received a dragon emblem and the honorary name „Dragon of Pilar.“
Lika, Martin Vrkljan von Pilar, Croatian general, Austro-Hungarian Army
Copyright (c) 2025 Boris Trnski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Bells: „Folk Music Connecting the Past, Present, and Future“
At the beginning of the Homeland War, the parish church of St. Michael in Lovinac was destroyed by shelling, during which its bells were also damaged. Although impaired, the bells—through their inscriptions—reveal the period in which they were made and represent significant movable cultural assets. They should be properly protected and presented, not only due to their importance for the community in the context of cultural memory, but also for their cultural and historical value. This prompted an expansion of the research deeper into the past— to the bells that preceded them and were destroyed during the Great War (World War I), and further to other church bells in the Lovinac area.
Lovinac, St. roch, ričice, church bells, requisition, World War I, in terwar period, Homeland War
Copyright (c) 2025 Tihana Petrović Leš https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Kazivač: Ante Pavelić, (1909. – 1995.). U ranoj je mladosti postao sljedbenik Radićeva političkog nauka, 1935. god. postao je trnovački seoski starješina, a 1937. god. predsjednik Hrvatske gospodarske seljačke zadruge u Trnovcu. Govorni zapis, kazetofonska vrpca, 1987., snimila Maja Pavelić Runje (sinovka) koja je govor i transkribirala.
Copyright (c) 2024 Maja Pavelić Runje https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Neukrotivi zelenoplavi neuki letači Milana Bošnjaka ili uriječivanje neuriječenog
Bošnjak, Milan: Neuki letači, Gospić, Matica hrvatska, 2013. i Bošnjak, Milan: Zelenoplavo, Gospić, Matica hrvatska, 2013.
Copyright (c) 2024 Vanda Babić Galić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Promišljanja o globalnim promjenama u odgoju i obrazovanju i očuvanju baštine
Zbornik radova Globalne promjene u obrazovanju i očuvanje baštine Uredništvo: Anela Nikčević-Milković, Jasminka Brala-Mudrovčić, Denis Jurković Sveučilište u Zadru Zadar, 2023., 306 str.
Copyright (c) 2024 Marina Franić Šimunić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Sanja Vrcić-Mataija https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Jedinstvena kronika 1990-ih iz ondašnje i današnje perspektive jednoga od najznačajnijih ličkih intelektualaca
Bežen, Ante: Zov ranjenog zavičaja: o vremenu Domovinskog rata i poraća iz ličke perspektive, Državni arhiv u Gospiću – Veleučilište Nikola Tesla u Gospiću, 2023.
Copyright (c) 2024 Milan Bošnjak https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Political Propaganda of the 20th CenturyDisplayed Through Posters (Examples of Archival Materials)
This paper explains political propaganda through the Collections of Posters of the State Archives in Slavonski Brod and State Archives in Gospic with the review of other archives and Memorial Documentation Centre of the Homeland War (HMDCDR). It includes the period from the First World War when the war propaganda began to the Second World War until the propaganda reached its peak. The paper also includes the period of forming Yugoslavia and the Republic of Croatia. It is interesting to see how political propaganda benefited different government systems and how it impacted the people’s lives. During the Second World War the poster became the most powerful way of visual communication through which today it is possible to form an idea of the political and social situation of that period. The posters that are kept in the National Archives could be a significant secondary source of historical data.
Copyright (c) 2024 Katarina Aladrović-Mehandžija, Gordana Slanček, Lara Prpić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
With the ambition of strengthening the autarkic economy of the Military Frontier subordinated to military needs, reforms began in the middle of the 18th century, during which Maria Theresa, on September 21, 1767, established a new order for artisans in Karlovac Generalate, which also referred to craftsmen from the area of the Lika regiment. In the Military Frontier headquarters, the Krajina administration inhabited foreign craftsmen who were organized into guilds, and on May 1, 1773, in Karlovac Generalate, all of them were associated with the main Karlovac guild. Foreign craftsmen contributed to the expansion of the towns they inhabited by settling and performing their trades, so in the 60s of the 18th century, farming settlements began to develop in the wider Gospic area, and trade and craft shops began to open in the central part of the town. The influx of craftsmen and merchants led to a denser population in Gospic, the headquarters of the Lika regiment.
Copyright (c) 2024 Joso Vrkljan, Ivan Barić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Graphemic-Phonemic Relations in the Text of the FojnicaChronicle (XVII Century)
This paper analyzes the graphemic-phonemic relationships in the Fojnica Chronicle, focusing on the differences and similarities in comparison to the texts of the Franciscan writing activity of the 17th and 18th centuries. First, graphemes that consistently denote the same phoneme in the Fojnica Chronicle are listed. Special emphasis is placed on the representation of certain phonemes marked with two graphemes, or, in some cases, the use of the same grapheme for several different phonemes. For example, the phonemes /ć/ and /đ/ are indicated by the jerv, and the jerv, in combination with the letters l and n, indicates the palatal phonemes /ļ/ and /ń/. The phonemes /č/ and /ǯ/ are marked with the same grapheme. Two graphemes are used to mark the phonemes /k/ and /o/, each with specific distributional rules for their use. The consonant cluster /št/ is denoted by a single letter. The accompanying letter a regularly appears with the vocal ŗ/, and the phoneme /j/ is denoted by the grapheme for jat. All the mentioned peculiarities are compared with the practices of some Franciscan writers from the 17th and 18th centuries. The study examines not only writers who published in Croatian Cyrillic but also those whose works were published in Latin, as the influence of Latin graphic rules on marking some phonemes in Croatian Cyrillic is evident.
Copyright (c) 2024 Šimun Novaković https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Coats of Arms of the Counts of Veglia and Kurjakovićs of Corbavia in the Castle of Grobnik
The paper analyzes the heraldic representations on the cistern crown in the Grobnik castle. The cistern crown itself has long been known to the scientific public, but its heraldry, as a primary source, has not been researched until now. After detecting the owner of Counts of Veglia coat of arms, the development of heraldry and partial use was given. In the case of the coat of arms of the Kurjaković's of Corbavia the research was focused on bisciones (dragons). The possible influences and reasons for the adoption of bisciones (dragons) in the heraldry of the family were analyzed, and it was concluded that they do not represent the Order of the Dragon of King Sigismund. The man-eating biscione clearly points to the influence of Milan and the connection with the ruler from the Sforza house, so it was concluded that it is the coat of arms of Princess Dorothea of Corbavia, and possible owner of other coat of arms is her brother Bernardin Frankapan.
Copyright (c) 2024 Amer Sulejmanagić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Lovinac on postcards between 1900. and 1940.
In the second half of the 19th century, the postcard, as a pictorial object in postal traffic, brought a novelty in the form of the dissemination of pictorial information for the purpose of promoting settlements, areas, economic activities or important persons. At the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, after the first editions in the larger cities and important tourist centres of Croatia, postcards of smaller settlements, including postcards of Lovinac, appeared. The article presents postcards from Lovinac that were reliably in use between 1902 and 1940, with descriptions of the pictorial part of the postcard – both location and naming the people in the pictures that were recognized from the few available tellers, which is the result of almost 30 years of collecting and searches for the same by the author. It is shown how well-known photographers of the time were hired to prepare the pictorial part of the postcards, and wholesalers of the time appear as publishers, which speaks of their awareness of and involvement in contemporary trends.
Copyright (c) 2024 Davor Šarić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Famine and Shortage in the Middle Lika in the Second Halfof the 18th and First Half of the 19th Century – Analysisof Demographic Indicators from Church Registry Books
The history of Lika, as well as the other karst areas of our region, has been marked by a difficult life conditions of its inhabitants. This paper analyzes the trends of nuptiality, fertility and mortality in 7 Catholic parishes of Middle Lika and 2 parishes of Podgorje from 1740 to 1858. The obtained data is also used to observe how Middle Lika lived through two crisis periods recognized at the level of the whole Europe – the eighties of the 18th century and the period after the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1815-1818). In both periods, the synergy of socio-political specificities and extreme weather conditions partly caused by volcanic eruptions led to widespread famines. The situation in Lika society in the mentioned periods is very opposite. The eighties of the 18th century hit Middle Lika very hard, which is confirmed by huge jumps in mortality and falls in marriage rates, and during the whole decade the population growth was negative in the observed parishes. On the other hand, the period after the Napoleonic wars minimally affected the Middle Lika society, no more than many other years of scarcity. The analysis of overall trends confirms that Middle Lika in the second half of the 18th and the first half of the 19th century was demographically a typical pre-industrial society characterized by a high birth rate and high mortality, especially of children.
Copyright (c) 2024 Filip Pavelić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Joso Vrkljan, Lička pukovnija kroz povijest Veleučilište Nikola Tesla i Ogranak Matice hrvatske Gospić, Gospić, 2022.
Copyright (c) 2023 Anela Serdar Pašalić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0