On 4 November 2014, on the occasion of the anniversary of the founding of the first modern printing house in Istria, an international professional-scientific conference was held in the Pula City Library and Reading Room The origins of the printed word: 155 years of printing in Istria (1859-2014).

After the welcome speeches of the director of the Library, the director of the institutions co-organizing the meeting dr. sc. Elvis Orbanić and David Runc and Lidija Musi from the City of Pula, dr. sc. Josip Stipanov gave an introductory presentation on the crucial impact of the invention of printing technology on the further development of society and humanity. This was followed by the presentations of dr. sc. Marina Manina from the Croatian Institute for History in Zagreb, Marina Budicina from the Centre for Historical Research in Rovinj, mag. Peter Štoka from the Central Library of Srečko Vilhara Koper, Fr. Ilija Jakovljević from the Parish Office of Fažana, Josip Šiklić from the Gymnasium and the Juraj Dobrila Vocational School in Pazin, dr. sc. Bruno Dobrić from the University Library in Pula, Nadia Bužleta and Nela Takoović from the City Library and Reading Room Pula and Hendija Hrelje from the State Archives in Pazin.

This year marks the significant anniversary of the founding of the first printing house that launched printing and publishing in Istria. The first modern printing house in Istria called Prima Tipografia Istriana, better known as the printing house of the Coana family, was founded in Rovinj in 1859. From the aspect of the development of the culture of printing in Croatia, the typography of the Coana family represents the origin of the continuous development of the printed word in Istria, paving the way for native publishing, the production of books and the first periodicals that document local history, politics and culture. It also marks the 145th anniversary of the launch of the printing business in Pula, with the founding of the first printing house Seraschin in 1869, which was also significant after the publication of the first publication in Croatian in Pula – the bookletRules of the Reading Room in Pula in 1870. The third anniversary, which rounds off the cultural history of Istria in 2014, is linked to the Rules, which is the 145th anniversary of the founding of the first Croatian reading room in Pula, which in 1869 began to act as the center of Croatian revival ideas, education and culture.

The meeting was organized by the Pula City Library and Reading Room, co-organized by the State Archives in Pazin and the Central Library of Srečka Vilhara Koper (Middle Library of Srečka Vilharja Koper), and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Pula. (Source: Pula City Library and Reading Room, 10.11.2014.)

 

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