Tourism and Leisure Cultures in Socialist Yugoslavia

Commented Sources

Introduction
 

This overview of sources intends to:

• make clear which sources we are viewing for our research
• to present a resource for further research by briefly commenting on the accessibility and usefulness of these sources for the topic 

Since we have conducted our research mainly in Croatia and Serbia, the assessments concentrate on the archives, organisations and media related to these states.

Please note that the comments reflect phases in our research since 2005 and collections may have been changed (ordered, digitalized, etc.) in the meantime. Some sources currently being reviewed will be included at a later stage.

  

State archives

Croatian State Archive (HDA)

Documents relating to tourism until the early 1960s can be found in record groups linked to government bodies:
The main department of tourism and catering of the Croatian government Glavna uprava za turizam i ugostiteljstvo vlade NRH
The chamber of catering (hotel industry) Ugostiteljska komora NRH

The material is unordered and includes: plans, reports on regional conditions, investments, cost sheets for individual facilities, correspondence.
Documents produced after the early 1960s must be traced in various ministries.

Vijeće Saveza sindikata Hrvatske
The Croatian umbrella union organization was involved in tourist activities, especially in developing social tourism along the Adriatic coast.
The Croatian State Archives holds the records from the period 1945–1970.

There is a 30-year embargo on documents in the Croatian State Archive. However, documents originally intended for public use may be made available on request.

HDA photo archive: see “photographs” below.
 

Archive of Serbia and Montenegro (ASCG)

(Previously: “Archive of Yugoslavia”)

The archive holds records of various organs and organisations of socialist Yugoslavia involved in tourism policy and organisation:
The Central Committee of the Communist Party, after 1952 League of Communists of Yugoslavia Savez komunista Jugoslavije
The federal committee for tourism (founded in1963) Savezni komitet za turizam
The federal tourism union (founded in 1953) Turistički savez Jugoslavije (TSJ)
The federal economic council Privredni Savet Vlade FNRJ
Travel agency Putnik (founded as a shareholding company in Belgrade in 1923, nationalized after WWII).

Records on schools as well as many Party records are not accessible at present due to reconstruction work.

Much of the material held by ASCG is unordered and/or only partially available.
There is a 30-year embargo on documents.

Party congresses

 The National Library of Serbia holds the collection of Yugoslav Communist Party / League of Communist congress protocols published in Belgrade since 1949. 

Statistics

Statistical yearbook of Yugoslavia Statistički godišnjak Jugoslavije (SGJ)

Together with a large variety of specialized reports and publications, this annual overview presents the official statistics produced by the Federal Bureau of Statistics. There is data on travel, tourism and transport on the federal and republican levels. More details on every republic can be found in the republican statistical yearbooks and other statistical publications by the republican bureaus of statistics (e.g. Statistički godišnjak Hrvatske, SGH contains tourism statistics for every local municipality in Croatia).

  

Tourism associations/organisations

The federal tourism union Turistički savez Jugoslavije (TSJ)

Founded in 1953, TSJ was the umbrella organisation for tourism-related government bodies, enterprises and associations. The tourism unions of the republics were members of TSJ.
TSJ records can be found at the Archive of Serbia and Montenegro.
 
The Croatian tourism union Turistički savez Hrvatske (TSH)

Founded in 1953, TSH was a leading factor in the Yugoslav tourism industry because of Croatia’s dominant position as a tourist destination. In addition, the union published specialist literature.
The Croatian State Archive does not hold records of TSH. The union’s successor organisation, the Croatian National Tourist Board Hrvatska turistička zajednica, claims not to know the whereabouts of records from the socialist period.

 

School curricula

The National Library of Serbia holds education legislation and teaching plans for various republics. The Federal Ministry of Education gave recommendations which the republican ministries were not obliged to pursue. All curricula stress the importance of extracurricular activities.

School archives in Belgrade do not hold records of the preferred destinations for extracurricular activities and excursions beyond the last ten years. Older records should have been sent to the archive of the Ministry of Education or to the State Archive, but were rarely transferred. School materials in the State Archive are not accessible at present due to reconstruction work. 

Bulletins

Službeni list FNRJ/SFRJ (SL)

The official gazette of the federal authorities. Contains legislation on tourism and all other fields, development plans, etc.

 
Narodne novine NRH/SRH (NN)

The official gazette of Croatia. Contains legislation on tourism and all other fields, development plans, etc. Other republics had their own official gazettes.

 
Partiska izgradnja published between 1945 and 1952. Komunist published from 1953.

Partiska izgradnja and Komunist published party materials, directives, articles by party leaders, etc. They also included stenographical notes from smaller party meetings – from the congresses of the republican branches of the League of Communists, meetings of the socialist youth, and meetings of the federal party and organisations in preparation for the big party congresses.

 Informativni pregled

The bulletin of the Central Committee of the League of Communist of Croatia, published from 1969. It includes resolutions, declarations and other documents accepted on both Croatian and federal levels, notes of important meetings, Party congresses, etc.

Radničke novine

The weekly of the Trade Union of Croatia, published since 1973. It includes journalistic articles on different aspects of life, as well as declarations made at the Union conferences and congresses.

 

Newspapers

Politika
Leading Serbian daily.(Politika was first published in Belgrade in 1904 and continues today).

Borba
Daily newspaper of the League of Communists published from 1948.

 

Journals


Turizam

Specialist monthly journal published in Zagreb from 1956 by the Croatian tourism union TSH.
It succeeded two earlier journals: Turistički pregled (1954-55) and Turističke vijesti (1953).
Turizam directly reflects the directions of tourism policy and discourses in Yugoslavia over the decades, and encompasses reports from all six republics.
Turizam is still published in Zagreb today.  

(Cover August 1964)

Ugostiteljstvo i turizam

Monthly journal for the tourism and catering industries published under a variety of names in Zagreb since 1952, and as “Ugostiteljstvo i turizam” since 1964. The specialist journal introduces new products, technologies and methods. Still published as “UT” today.

 
Yugoslav Survey

An English-language quarterly published in Belgrade from 1960 (in Serbian from 1957). The Survey informs on the socio-political system, the economy, education/science/culture and foreign policy, and offers statistical data. (The Survey continues as “Survey of Serbia and Montenegro” from 2003).

 

Magazines

Arena

A low-brow illustrated weekly covering general topics of interest. A mirror of consumer desire and habits.
Published by the Zagreb-based Vjesnik group from 1959.

(Advertisement for a competition draw, March 1988)  

Vikend

A family-oriented illustrated weekly published in Zagreb from 1968 (to 1998).
Vikend reflects state efforts to popularize tourism and recreation for the whole family.
In addition, Vikend encouraged readers to send in comments and reports about their leisure activities.
The weekly also organised competitions and collective excursions centred on discovering local landscapes and destinations.     

 (Cover July 1969)

Vjesnik u srijedu (VUS)

The leading Yugoslav weekly news magazine, published in Zagreb by Vjesnik 1952–1977.
There are articles covering different topics, including tourism, holidays and living standards.

 
(Cover August 1976)

Sam svoj majstor

A monthly do-it-youself guide covering simple home decorating to complex technical contruction.
Tasks include holiday mobility, e.g. how to build your own boat or caravan. Published in Zagreb by Vjesnik, 1975-1992.
(A Belgrade-based equivalent was published as Uradi sam).

(Cover of the first edition, 1975)

Pictures / photographs

Croatian State Archive (HDA) - Photo Section

The archive holds a sizeable collection of photographs taken for the purpose of tourism marketing until the late 1960s. A small number of earlier (1930s) and later (1970s) photographs can also be found. The collection is not digitalized but digital images can be ordered on CD.  

 
Tourism Documentation Centre, University of Dubrovnik

Apart from a good collection of published (and unpublished) tourism studies from the socialist period, the Centre holds a large collection of Yugoslav marketing material (brochures, etc.) mainly focussed on the Adriatic coast. The images are partially digitalized.

Films

YUGO 45

A docmentary film about the Yugo 45 (“the world's worst car“) by Radovan Grahovac (ORF 2005). The film docments the history of Yugoslavia's trademark car, and follows its erratic yet resolute journey into the present.

PUTNIK

A documentary about the history of the Putnik travel company by Vladan Krajčević (1999). The film was made on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of Putnik in 1923.     

Last edited: May 2007