Metallurgy in the territory of present-day Croatia

Abstract

Metallurgy is by far the oldest technical discipline and one of the fields of technical sciences. According to archaeological findings, metallurgical activity in the territory of present- ‑day Croatia has been ongoing for over 6,000 years, having undergone numerous phases of development. The industrial development of metallurgy in Croatia in the 20th century had its roots in restoration of the 19th-century metallurgical companies, the production of ferroalloys, the opening of numerous foundries (primarily of a craft-based character), and the beginning of the industrial production of pig iron and aluminium in the period before World War II. After the war, considerable attention was devoted to the development of metallurgy in Croatia, and the establishment of a number of metallurgical enterprises contributed to the respectable development of the metalworking industry by the end of the 1980s. This paper presents the historical development of metallurgy in the territory of present-day Croatia, including the most significant industrial metallurgical companies in ferrous metallurgy, non-ferrous metallurgy, and foundry production. In addition, it outlines educational, scientific, professional, and publishing activities in the field of metallurgy, as well as the contributions of professional associations and journals, to the development of this scientific field. Thirty-five years ago, the metallurgical production of Croatia reached about 2.5 Mt of semi-finished and finished products. Unfortunately, because of war damage, a deeply flawed privatisation model, the absence of an industrial strategy in recent decades, and deindustrialisation, metallurgical production in Croatia in 2024 amounted to only 376 kt.