History of Rijeka - in Yugoslavia

In Yugoslavia

Because of its importance for the country's shipbuilding industry was from 1947 under the responsibility of the Ministry of National Defence until 1954. In 1948 the main shipyard, renamed Maj 3, which was to serve as a base for the restored shipbuilding industry. In 1949, it launched the first post-war Yugoslav ship, the MB Zagreb of 4000 DWT. Along with the shipbuilding industry would develop one for marine equipment. After being rebuilt, the Torpedo Factory started to produce diesel engines. The former foundry Skull now Svjetlost was devoted to the production of electrical navigation equipment, while the Rikard Benčić manufactured watercraft and other auxiliary equipment. The oil refinery was back in 1948 pre-war production with 110,000 tonnes in the early Fifties it was able to process 200,000 tonnes of oil. At the time, it was supplying 37.6% of the country.

During the period 1960-1990 Rijeka is a city that aspires to the greatest achievements and equips a heavy industry while dreaming of an Utopian tomorrow. After Edo Jardas, the following mayors followed: Franjo Širola (1959–1964), Nikola Pavletić (1964–1968), and Dragutin Haramija (1968–1969), Neda Andrić (1969–1974), Nikola Pavletić for the second time (1974–1979), Vilim Mulc (1979–1982), Josip Štefan (1982–1984), Zdravko Saršon (1985–1987) and Željko Lužavec (1988–1993). The majority of mayors came from small towns in the immediate surroundings of the city.

Regarding the economic situation, it should be noted that the traffic of the port complex had increased from 420,000 tons in 1946 to more than 20,000,000 tons in 1980. The port was involved in more than 50% of traffic across the country and about 80% in terms of transit. In 1980, Rijeka handled 20% of exports from Croatia and 10% of those of Yugoslavia. In 1980, when the merchant navy was at its peak, Rijeka shipping had a cargo capacity of 500,000 tons. Jugolinija was the largest shipping company of the state while Jadrolinija dealt with 49 ships and passenger transportation service by ferry-boats. Approximately 23,000 people were employed in industry in that year. Over 80% of the total industrial production was produced by the energy sector (electric power industry, oil processing and coal), as well as shipbuilding. This feature coupled with the low number of finished products explains why industry of Rijeka collapsed in the early Nineties. In 1982 there were 92,489 employees from a population of 193,000. The oil refinery treated 8,000,000 tonnes - 28% of the total state turnover. The plant had been based in Urinj since 1966. In the Eighties the construction of a petrochemical complex in Omišalj began, which later made one of the biggest losses for the state. The 3rd of May shipyard handled about one third of the shipbuilding industry. The peak in production was achieved between 1971 and 1975, when 32 ships were built, totalling more than 1,200,000 gross tons. These vessels were mainly for export. In the Eighties smaller boats were built and production increased to employ 7,000 shipyard workers and become the largest company in Rijeka. At the same time the shipyard Viktor Lenac in Martinščica developed to become the largest repairs yard in the Mediterranean.

The development of the metalworking industry was linked to the needs of shipbuilding. Thus Vulkan manufactured cranes for the Rikard Benčić ship pumps, Tornado manufactured diesel engines and tractors, electric generators for Rade Končar while Metalografički Kombinat was directed towards the production of metal packaging for the purposes of refinery. Civil engineering was expanding to the point that cooperatives such as Primorje, Jadran, Kvarner and Konstruktor employed some 10,000 workers overall in 1981. More than 6,000 of them were engaged in commerce with Brodokomerc. This was reflected in the construction of many new residential buildings in the city such as the five buildings in Škurinje, all 26 floors in height.

The GHETALDUS building on Korzo, designed by Zdenko Kolacio (1949), opens the period of modern architecture. Josip Uhlik designed the building of Social Insurance. Igor Emili created designs for Užarška (1959) and Šporerova (1968) streets, the department store Varteks (1975), the Ri-Adria bank (later Jugobanka, 1986) in the old part of the city, and also for the buildings Kraš (1964) and Brodomaterijal II (1970) on the Korzo. Ada Felice-Rošić designed the store Korzo (1972) with a front flanking a successful access to the old part of town while Ninoslav and Vjera Kučan designed the department store RI (1974). A series of business buildings are the work of Vladimir Grubešić: Jadroagent (1977–1984), Delta (1983–1984), Privredna banka Zagreb (1986), Jadrosped, all located in the old part of town, as well as the Croatia Lines (1982–1992). One of the most accomplished achievements was the construction of the Riječka banka, according to a draft Kazimir Oštrogović (1966). The project of the Museum of the Revolution (now the Municipal Museum) was designed by Neven Šegvić (1976), and the office tower at HPT-Centar Kozala was designed by N. Kučan and V. Antolović (1975). The architect Boris Magaš is the author of two major buildings: the Faculty of Law (1980 with Olga Magaš), and the Church of St. Nicholas (1981–1988).