PAPER “NAŠA PROŠLOST” (OUR PAST) IN SCIENTIFICAL AND CULTURAL PANORAMA OF SERBIA

Abstract

Evolution of Our Past journal from a county newspaper started in 1964 to a multidisciplinary publication of national significance is due to a fruitful collaboration between the National Museum of Kraljevo and the Historical Archives of Kraljevo. Publication of the journal has been discontinued five times. The most severe occurred in 1975, due to political reasons, when the District Court in Kraljevo issued a proclamation to forbid printing and to withdraw the last issue of the journal. It resulted in an 11-year publishing interruption.Nevertheless, the commitment and dedication of the executives and employees of these two institutions have contributed much to each re-launch of the journal, quality of papers, number of authors and collaborators, and its visual identity, as well. A new series was initiated in 1986,and had 5 volumes, but was interrupted in 1992, due to the lack of financing. The period between 2005 and 2015, with a resumed numeration (from 6/2005 to 16/2015) is experienced as the golden age of Our Past journal. The editorial board gathered well-reputed professionals in science and culture, and in 2008 the publication was included on the Scientific Journal Ranking List, M53 category. In 2011 an international editorial team was set up, which led to a continuous growth of the network of associates – prominent scientists in the country and abroad and young researcher who had their first publications in the journal. From 1964 to 2015 a total of 354 papers in the field of history, archeology, history of arts, museology, archival studies, ethnology, numismatics, genealogy, methodology, geography and natural sciences were published. Beside the authors employed in the local institutions of the Museum and the Archives, there also were 80 external authors from 39 various institutions and organizations, faculties, institutes, museums, archives, libraries, and offices, national and international. Editorial stuff changes in 2016 caused the publication of the journal to interrupt for the fifth time. After a three-year-break, in the current year, a new volume of the journal is expected to be released, with the numeration emphasizing the continuation with previous issues.