Naše more, 50(5-6)2003, str. 171-173

Looking Forward to The Forthcoming Anniversaries

This review could start with: In those times ...., or more precisely: In those times in the first period ...... Because there were two time periods. The first one started in 1919 when the journal Naše more was founded as a monthly journal for shipping. It was founded by prominent seamen and shipowners in Dubrovnik as paper of the Yugoslav Shipping Foundation seated in Dubrovnik. In the first year two issues were published (Issue No. 1 and 2). The Editor-in-Chief was Andrija Čurlin. Within the next year eight more issues were published, edited by Ljubo Leontić PhD. The eighth issue was published in October 1920 in which the editors announced that no more issues were to be published. The real reasons for such a decision are not known, but, evidently, the journal, if nothing more, lacked the state support.

Consequently, in 2004 the 85th anniversary of the journal ''Naše more'' was celebrated. There are not many journals in the world that could boast with such a long history.

(Figure:) Cover page and Contents of the first issue in 1919

            This shows how important a role shipping has had in this area, as well as the ever-present awareness on the importance of the sea for life and prosperity of our, and not only our, society.

            The journal was again published in 1954, this time as paper of the Mariners' Club ''Miho Pracat'' of Dubrovnik. The promotion committee consisted exclusively of Master Mariners: Maroje Aleksić, Zvonimir Goić, Mario Grbić, Viktor Nonveiller, Špiro Savin, Ivo Scarpa and Lujo Šoletić.

            Zvonimir Goić was elected Editor-in-Chief, whileas Maroje Aleksić, Dragutin Betner, Antun Depolo, Zvonimir Goić, Viktor Nonveiller, Nadan Palčok, Miljenko Sekula, Đuro Stojanović and Špiro Savin were members of the Editorial Board.

(Figure:) Cover page of the first issue in 1954

The leading article of the first issue began with: It is more of a success than an omission when we declare that this is our first issue.

            The point was to draw attention to thrity five years of silence about the sea and shipping, and this silence came as a consequence of political circumstances, generally unfriendly to shipping thought and hundreds of years of its continuous existence, and not of a lack of interest and activity on the part of Dubrovnik shipping society. That was the moment when the merchant fleet of Dubrovnik started to rise from the ashes, aided by the same group of members of the Mariners' Club, headed by Master Mariner Špiro Savin.

            In the next fifteen years, as of 1954 until and including 1968, the journal was being published as the paper of the Mariners' Club ''Miho Pracat''. Nevertheless, due to financial problems in the Club, along with some other circumstances, the Socialist Workers Union of Croatia in Dubrovnik took the role of the Publisher.

            At the very beginning of 1979 the Editor-in-Chief Master Mariner Zvonimir Goić deceased. He was the Editor-in-Chief from the very beginning of the second period of publishing the journal, i.e. for 25 years. This loss caused a certain organizational gap that needed to be filled soonest possible.

            By the middle of 1979, upon initiative of the ''Society for Study and Promotion of Yugoslav Shipping in Dubrovnik'' and its president professor Rudi Jelić, a formal agreement on financing of the journal was made. According to that agreement the shipping companies ''Atlantska plovidba'' and ''Mediteranska plovidba'' as well as the ''Port of Dubrovnik'', District Assembly Dubrovnik and the Government Agency for Culture in the District of Dubrovnik made a commitment to provide financial support for the journal.

            Co-signatories to this agreement, but without financial share were: the Socialist Union of Labour - Dubrovnik, as the Publisher, Mariners' Club ''Miho Pracat'', Society for Study and Promotion of Yugoslav Shipping in Dubrovnik, District Council of Croatian Workers Union - Dubrovnik and Biological Institute in Dubrovnik.

            New Editorial Board was elected consisting of: Josip Luetić PhD, Executive Editor, Josip Lovrić PhD, Editor-in-Chief, and Antun Martinović, Adiministrative Editor. Later on painter Josip Škerlj, Technical and Graphical Editor, and Anita Vlašić, Language Editor and Proof-Reader, were co-opted on the Board.

            There were no changes in the Editorial Board until 1988, when Josip Škerlj left the Board, and Tereza Puzović, as Secretary to the Board, was co-opted from 1981 until 1983.

            In the year 1989 two more members joined the Editorial Board: Boris Franušić PhD and Miljenko Kastrapeli.

            In 1990 the new Publisher of the journal was Maritime Faculty of Dubrovnik and Editorial Board was joined by Luko Milić PhD, Antun Ničetić PhD and Jadran Šundrica MSc.

            In 1991 Srećko Krile PhD joined the Editorial Board (in charge of computer-processing of text).

            In 1992 the Editorial Board was joined by Antun Česko PhD (as language editor as well), the post of Executive Editor was abolished, and Josip Luetić PhD remained as member of the Editorial Board.

            In the year 1995 the journal was approved an International Editorial Board, and Josip Luetić PhD became one of the members; the membership of this Board has not changed since.

            Late in 1995 Antun Česko PhD withdrew from the Editorial Board. Ever since the membership has not changed.

            By legal succession, in December 1996 the Editor of the journal was Polytechnic of Dubrovnik, and as of December 2003 the University of Dubrovnik.

            Ever since the journal was started again in 1954 until the present, consequently within the last fifty years of being published, ''Naše more'' had only two Editors-in-Chief and one Executive Editor. For a journal with such a long publishing history it is an exceptionally small number of changes at the top. Of course, there are reasons for this. All these men are intriguing and exceptional individuals and they have all contributed significantly to our marine science and practice by their personal contribution and example. Therefore, here are some details from their rich professional careers. These are not the biographies, since the biographies have been published many times before and are well known to the public.

            Zvonimir Goić, Master Mariner, born and raised in Dubrovnik, seafarer by profession, later on a seaman ''berthed'' ashore, prompted by restlessness caught at deep seas to action in matters concerning the sea, among them to be one of the pioneers of tourism in Dubrovnik, ran the journal for twenty five years, fighting for it by all means. In our midst it has never been easy on editors. He had to use a skilful tactics, animate the associates that he couldn't afford to pay, accept suggestions ''in goodwill'' and make all kinds of compromise, and do many other things, and sweat to squeeze a dime here and there until the very end, all that in an effort to keep the re-started journal running.

            All this he did with devotion, enthusiasm and self-sacrifice. We may today frown at the appearance and contents of some of the issues from those times, but we cannot but, at least silently, acknowledge that this marine journal, now a scientific journal, still exists thanks to Captain Goić who succeeded in running it through ever so difficult years. Let's thank him for this!

            Josip Luetić was Executive Editor of the journal from 1979 until 1989. He was born and raised in Dubrovnik, where he completed his maritime college education, and later on study of history and the doctor's degree. Finally he dedicated himself completely to scientific research of Croatian marine history and writing. He is the founder and first manager of the Institute for Historical Research of Shipping in South Dalmatia and Maritime Museum in Dubrovnik. His special contribution to the journal were his scientific papers and work on editing the column An Insight Into History.

            Josip Lovrić has been the Editor-in-Chief of the journal for the last twenty five years since it was re-started. He is a scientist and a writer, born and raised in Dubrovnik, by vocation a naval architect, but throughout his career, and throughout his literary work, he has been closely connected to mariners and their life experiences.

            His co-operation with Captain Goić in editing the journal started only a few years prior to his passing away. Consequently, his election as successor was to be expected. Taking into consideration new sponsorship and new developments of shipping thought at home and abroad, the gradual changes in editing policy that were to follow were to be expected.

            The journal has gradually turned into a scientific journal, keeping however the connection with wide reading audience by publishing professional papers from practice as well as literary papers on the sea and ships written by geniuine seamen.

            Furthermore, the journal has broadened the areas of interest by turning into a journal of marine science in the widest sense of the words. Finally, it has been placed in the category of journals with international review and has been receiving a regular financial support by the Croatian Ministry of Science and Technology.

            The history of the editing policy of Editor-in-Chief Josip Lovrić is impressive. It was not easy to start a journal, it was difficult to keep it running, but it was even more difficult to obtain scientific categorization of the journal.

            Let's, therefore, wish him many more editorial ventures and success, to the benefit of our shipping society, our marine science and shipping as a whole, also in supporting the economic orientation of our country, that has always stretched on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, to the shipping trade.

                                                                                              For the Editor:

                                                                                  Prof. Mateo Milković, PhD