Academy Units

Head of: Nenad Cambi, F.C.A.
Director:  Tado Oršolić, Ph.D.

Nenad Cambi, F.C.A. was reappointed head of the Institute of Historical Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences in Zadar for a period of four years, starting on November 5, 2020.

Tado Oršolić, Ph.D. was reappointed director of the Institute of Historical Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences in Zadar for a period of four years, starting on June 2, 2019.

The Institute of Historical Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts was established as the Institute of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zadar in 1954. The purpose of the establishment of the Academy’s Institute was the need for systematic and intensive research of the history of the city of Zadar and its wider surroundings, i.e. research and study of the past of southern Croatia and especially the North Dalmatian area. The Academy’s Institute has changed its name several times during its existence. Since 1961 it has been called  the Institute for Historical and Economic Sciences of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zadar, since1974. Center for Scientific Work in Zadar and since 1978. Institute for Historical Sciences of the Research Center of the Yugoslav Academy in Zadar. With the establishment of the internationally recognized and independent Republic of Croatia, since 1991 it has been called the  Institute of Historical Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zadar. The Institute has a valuable Maritime Collection  opened in 1966, and in the period from 1958 to 1981 the Restoration Studio (workshop) also operated. Many significant and valuable church and museum artworks have been restored here. The Institute is especially responsible for preserving the cultural heritage of the very valuable artworks “Gold and Silver of Zadar” and the church and monastery of St. Peter. Mary in Zadar.

The first president of the Institute was Antun Barac, F.C.A. and then Grga Novak, F.C.A. (1954-1978). From 1979 to 2002, the head of the Institute was Mate Suić, F.C.A., from 2002 to 2016 Franjo Šanjek, F.C.A. and from 2016 Nenad Cambi, F.C.A. The first director of the Institute was Josip Badalić, F.C.A., and from 1956 to 1974 Vjekoslav Maštrović, Ph.D. The managers of the Institute are: Seid M. Traljić (1974-1981), Vesna Jakić-Cestarić, PhD. (1981-1984), Šime Peričić, Ph.D. (1984-1991), Milko Brković, Ph.D. (1991-2009), Zlatko Begonja Ph.D. (2009-2015) and Tado Oršolić, Ph.D. since 2015.

The scientific and cultural activities of the Institute or the Institute have resulted in a large number of published scientific and professional papers, as well as independent publications. In the past six decades, the Institute has been the organizer or co-organizer of over fifty scientific and professional meetings, round tables, over a hundred independent public scientific and professional lectures and various scientific and cultural events. It is important to emphasize the publishing activity of the Institute, which has achieved an enviable level of published and printed publications in more than sixty years of work. During its activities, the Academy’s Institute published a total of 14 monographs in the series titled “Works”, 7 publications in the series “Special Editions”, 3 volumes titled “Maritime Proceedings”, 4 volumes of the publication “Adriatic maritima”, participated in the preparation of 8 volumes of the publication “Maritime Proceedings”, printed “Occasional Editions” (catalogues of exhibitions) and several proceedings from the scientific conference. In particular, the yearbook of the Institute of Historical Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences in Zadar, which has been published since 1954 and has been printed in a total of 61 volumes, in which a total of 991 scientific and professional articles have been published, and several hundred reviews and evaluations of books. The papers published in the Works of the Institute are from the sphere of social sciences and humanities and are related to the past of Zadar and the wider surroundings, northern Dalmatia, but also from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other surrounding countries in general.

By actively acting in the scientific and cultural field, the Institute has left a lasting contribution to the overall Croatian scientific heritage. He has collaborated and collaborates with many scientific, cultural and social and ecclesiastial institutions in Croatia and abroad (BiH, Germany, Russia, Bulgaria, Poland, Austria, Italy, France, England). Cooperation is most prolific with the University of Zadar and its employees: in teaching and scientific and research work, various participations in the organization and co-organization of scientific meetings and colloquiums, and editions of proceedings and monographs. The Institute also cooperates with other institutions Matica Hrvatska – Zadar, State Archives in Zadar, Zadar Archdiocese, museums in Zadar, The City of Zadar and Zadar County, but also with many other cultural institutions and societies, schools, associations and municipalities of Zadar County.

Seat of Institute for Historical Sciences in Zadar