The Herald of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Herald of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the oldest scientific journal in the country. The first issue was published on 1 January 1889, less than a year after the founding of the museum.

In the beginning, the Herald was published quarterly, and its first editor was Kosta Hörmann, who served from 1889 to 1906. As part of the so-called old series of the Herald (1889–1943), 55 annual issues comprising 134 volumes were published. The big names of Bosnia and Herzegovina science and museology of the day took turns at the helm of the editorial board: Kosta Hörmann, Ćiro Truhelka (1906–1921), Vladislav Skarić (1921/22–1936), Mihovil Mandić (1936–1941), Jozo Petrović (1941–1942), and Vejsil Ćurčić (1943).

The second chapter in the history of the Herald started after World War II, with the start of the new series in 1946. The volumes were divided according to the field the articles covered: Social Science (1946–1953), History and Ethnography (1954–1957), Archaeology (1954–), Ethnology (1958–) and Natural Science (1945–).

The concept of the journal, set forth in a programmatic article in the first issue, has remained the same. The mission of the Herald is to publish scientific and professional articles from all the fields studied at the Museum, and to provide a platform for Museum staff and external experts alike. As of 2010, the Herald has a new look: the format is larger, and the articles in the volumes Archaeology and Ethnology are published bilingually, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian and English, while the Natural Sciences volume is published in English only.

In addition to its scientific and educational significance, the Herald has another important role. Starting with the first issue, it engaged in publication exchanges with other museums and similar institutions worldwide. Today, publications are exchanged with 400 institutions internationally and with 45 institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Herald can be viewed and searched via the digital archive INFOBIRO which is digitising this publication.