First newspaper in Croatian language published 216 years ago today

First newspaper published in the Croatian language came out 216 years ago today (Photo: NSK/CC)

ZAGREB, 12 July 2022 – The first issue of a newspaper published in the Croatian language came out 216 years today on 12 July 1806.  

The first issue of Kraglski Dalmatin, which was also known as Kraljski Dalmatin, came out 216 years ago on this day. Kraglski Dalmatin was a weekly newspaper which was published in Croatian and Italian in Zadar.

Dalmatia was ruled by Napoleonic France between 1806 and 1813 and it was that government which published the paper in order to ‘promote their government and gain favor with the local population’.

The decision to establish Il Regio Dalmata – Kraglski Dalmatin was made by Napoleon Bonaparte. 

The newspaper, which was distributed throughout Dalmatia, from the Kvarner Gulf in the north to the Bay of Kotor in the south, including the Adriatic islands, was edited by Bartolomeo Benincasa, Ivan Kreljanović and Nikola Dominik Budrović.

Paško Jukić, a Franciscan, translated the articles from Italian to Croatian. After Jukić’s death in 1806, Budrović took over the translation duties. The newspaper was printed in Antonio Luigi Battara’s printing shop in Zadar.

The French government decided to discontinue newspaper in 1810 after 176 issues in favour of a larger more regional paper.

Il Regio Dalmata – Kraglski Dalmatin – 1st issue (Photo: NSK/CC)

You can check out the first issue on Stare hrvatske novine.