2026 “Heritage at Hand at CroAtrium” event #6 marks 290 years since Ruđer Bošković’s first work
With its latest 2026 Heritage at Hand at CroAtrium event and as part of this year’s Croatian Book Month, the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) marked 290 years since the publication of the first work of the renowned 18th-century Croatian mathematician, physicist, astronomer, philosopher, diplomat and poet Ruđer Josip Bošković (Ruggero Giuseppe Boscovich).
The ‘firstling’ (De maculis solaribus exercitatio astronomica habita) of one of Croatia’s and the world’s greatest scholars – whose theories Nietzsche termed the greatest triumph over the senses that has hitherto been gained on earth, a member of the Royal Society in London and eight other academies whose insights had a decisive impact on the development of a number of sciences – and the method for determining the rate of solar rotation by observing sunspots which he put forward in it was presented by Dr Mirko Husak, who emphasised that Bošković was one of only few of his contemporaries doing similar research.
Also, Dr Ivica Martinović, who made special reference to the lasting relevance of Bošković’s research extending to the present day, gave an overview of this first and subsequent eight dissertations which Bošković had had printed prior to 1740, before, while still a student, he started teaching mathematics at the Collegium Romanum, today’s Pontifical Gregorian University.
The programme included the announcement of the publication by the Library of a reprint of this opening work in Bošković’s world-famous oeuvre which will give modern readers a better understanding of the beginnings of his scholarly work.
“Boškovićiana” – a gem of Croatia’s largest library collection
The event participants had the opportunity to see the original copies of these early Bošković’s works in the NSK Manuscripts and Rare Books Collection, Croatica’s most valuable sub-collection. These and other works by Bošković in the Collection were presented in greater detail by the Collection’s associate for early and rare material Karolina Tumbas, who also provided information on their digital copies available as part of the NSK Digital Collections website and on the Library’s Online exhibitions website.
Apart from the original copies of Bošković’s published works, the Collection includes manuscripts by and related to Bošković as well as other resources revealing interesting details about the great scholar’s relationship to his sister Anica and brothers Božo, Bartol and Petar. Particularly captivating are Bošković’s poetical works, among which is a 1760 poem dedicated to the British academy of sciences, which in 1779 got its famous French translation.
Croatian and global scientific legacy safe in Croatica
Apart from Bošković’s works, Croatica’s holdings include works by other great Croatian scholars such as Faust Vrančić, Marco Antonio de Dominis, Marin Getaldić and many others.
NSK’s work on the protection and preservation of Croatian scientific legacy encompasses the achievements of the creators of Croatia’s present-day science. It archives their insights and makes them available by developing its Doctoral and Master’s Theses Collection, which currently holds more than 40,000 printed theses defended at Croatian universities, including those by authors who obtained their academic degree outside Croatia.
Also, NSK offers wide access to Croatia’s contemporary research output and all types of final theses, ranging from graduation to doctoral theses, through taking part in the development of the national digital archives and repositories, in particular the Croatian Digital Dissertations Repository (DR) and Croatian Digital Theses Repository (ZIR), contributing to its visibility and creating conditions for its advancement and growth.
Photo: © NSK