From the Tehnička enciklopedija to the Hrvatska tehnička enciklopedija

Abstract

The technological heritage of Croatia, the history and current state of technology in Croatia are relatively poorly researched and documented in literature, and overviews regarding this field are noticeably absent. This state of affairs is partially reflected in contemporary Croatian encyclopaedics. In contrast to the Pomorska enciklopedija (Maritime Encyclopaedia) or Šumarska enciklopedija (Encyclopaedia of Forestry) of the Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography, the Tehnička enciklopedija (TE – Encyclopaedia of Technology), a major work encompassing 13 volumes and long-time indispensable reference book for students of faculties of engineering, focused on macropeadic interpretation of general technological terms without a systematic examination of the history and current state of affairs in Croatia. The Hrvatska tehnička enciklopedija (HTE – Croatian encyclopaedia of Technology) continues the TE and serves to complement it, including national topics and containing articles covering general terms, biographies, companies and institutions, journals and associations, striving to adapt the texts to a broader circle of users. The HTE project builds upon the values of the traditional encyclopaedic concept of organising and disseminating consolidated knowledge, adapted to the digital age, and is simultaneously published in printed and electronic form. It is expected that this approach will contribute towards increasing familiarity with Croatian technology and thus improve its perception in a cultural and social context).