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The first idea of bringing together Yugoslav microbiologists in the form of a society emerged in March 1957 at the first symposium on technological microbiology in Ljubljana, held at the Boris Kidrič Institute of Chemistry. The idea was supported by the director of the Institute, Prof. Maks Samec. An initiative committee was appointed to establish the Yugoslav Microbiological Society. Representatives of microbiologists from Slovenia—Dr. Marta Blinc, Prof. Aleksander Konjajev, Dr. Franc Rigler, Dr. Roman Scagnetti, and Prof. Milica Valentinčič—prepared a draft of the society’s statutes and sent it to Belgrade, where in October 1957 the founding assembly of the Yugoslav Microbiological Society (JMD) took place. The Slovenian section of microbiologists was founded on 8 April 1958. Around the same time, Croatian and Serbian sections were also established. Members of the first board of the Slovenian section were: President Dr. Blinc, Secretary Dr. Marijan Vozelj, and Treasurer Dr. Zlata Stropnik.
At the founding meeting, Dr. Blinc presented the state of microbiology at home and abroad and emphasized the lack of opportunities for additional training for microbiologists, especially in industrial microbiology. One of the goals of the section was to educate young professionals across all branches of microbiology through lectures, courses, and excursions. Already in its first year, the section organized plenary lectures and seminars in medical and veterinary microbiology. At the time, the section had 62 members: 22 physicians, 14 agronomists, 10 chemists, 9 veterinarians, and 7 biologists. Members thus represented all fields of microbiology, and it was decided that leadership of the Section would rotate among institutions of different microbiological disciplines.
The JMD itself was also active. In November 1959, it organized the First Symposium on “Microbiology of Food Products,” at which five Slovenian microbiologists participated. It is interesting to read archival data on the section’s lectures from the 1960s, which clearly reflect the pressing microbiological topics of the time across all fields.
In 1962, the Terminological Commission was established within the section, chaired by Prof. Stanko Banič. The commission met regularly and crowned its efforts in 1994 with the publication of the Microbiological Dictionary. Under Prof. Banič’s leadership, the commission continues to meet and prepare a new edition of the dictionary. During this period, the section also organized a course in light microscopy and an excursion to Italy, including visits to an antibiotic factory, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome, and the Faculty of Agronomy in Perugia. Prof. Castelli from Perugia remained closely connected with Slovenian microbiologists until his death.
In 1962, Prof. Banič became president of the section. At that time, the president of the JMD, Prof. Tešić, proposed changes to the statutes that would give republican sections more autonomy. In March 1963, the statutes of the newly formed Slovenian Microbiological Society (SMD) were adopted. That same year, the journal Mikrobiologija began publication in Belgrade, with contributions also from Slovenian microbiologists, until financial difficulties caused the journal to appear irregularly and ultimately cease after the dissolution of Yugoslavia.
In 1963, Slovenian microbiologists went on a professional excursion to Paris to visit the Pasteur Institute. The following year, under the leadership of Prof. Odar, the society organized a statistics course. Leadership of the SMD was then taken over by agronomists, with Prof. Konjajev as president. The themes of the society’s well-attended lectures from this period remain remarkably relevant today. Slovenian microbiologists from all fields continued to educate themselves and connect with one another.
In autumn 1967, Prof. Batis unveiled a commemorative plaque dedicated to Marko Anton Plenčič in Solkan on behalf of the SMD. Prof. Konjajev was succeeded as president by Dr. Danica Miklič, who in 1967 organized the 10th anniversary celebration of the society. At this event, Dr. Blinc delivered a comprehensive report on the society’s activities to date, and Dr. Miklič spoke about the pioneers of Slovenian microbiology. Excursions during this period included visits to the KRKA pharmaceutical company in Novo Mesto, the Dairy Education Centre in Kranj, the LEK factory in Mengeš, and the Union Brewery. In 1971, the SMD organized a course in spectral photometry. Leadership of the SMD passed to Prof. Batis, and the society’s headquarters moved to the veterinarians’ institution.
At a meeting in November 1970, Slovenian microbiologists adopted an important resolution proposing that the JMD be renamed the Association of Microbiological Societies of Yugoslavia; this proposal was forwarded to Belgrade. In the next term, Dr. Blinc again became president.
Meanwhile, the JMD continued its activities, primarily by organizing symposiums and later the Congresses of Microbiologists of Yugoslavia.
In 1973, leadership of the SMD was taken over by medical microbiologists, with Prof. Miha Likar as president. At the general assembly, Prof. Megušar presented preparations for the interdisciplinary academic program in microbiology. A successful course on sterilization was held, with the lecture material also published in book form.
The main task of this period was preparing for the 3rd Congress of Microbiologists of Yugoslavia, organized by Slovenian microbiologists and held in 1976 in Bled.
In 1980, Prof. Aleksa Cimerman became president of the SMD. A professional meeting, “Fungi 80,” was organized at Otočec, and preparations began for the 4th Congress of Microbiologists in Belgrade. At this time, the SMD already had 152 members. Activities continued through lectures and visits, including to the Institute of Public Health and the Zlatorog factory in Maribor, the new Clinical Centre in Ljubljana, and the Marine Biological Station in Piran.
Next, leadership passed to Prof. France Megušar, who devoted significant effort to organizing a congress on microbial ecology. During this time, the society celebrated its 25th anniversary. The Association of Microbiological Societies of Yugoslavia (ZDMJ) awarded plaques to Prof. Miha Likar, Prof. Aleksander Konjajev, and engineer Jože Šlajmer.
In 1982, Prof. Drinovec organized a conference on viral infections within the SMD. The next year, the JMD organized the 7th World GIAMS Conference (General Impacts of Applied Microbiology) in Split. In Slovenia, the Section of Industrial Microbiologists became active, organizing lectures and technical visits for its members.
The 5th Congress of Microbiologists of Yugoslavia was held in September 1985 in Poreč. At the general assembly, several important conclusions were adopted, including a proposal to move the headquarters of the Yugoslav society from Belgrade to Zagreb.
The International Congress on Microbial Ecology (ISME) was held in 1986 in the newly built Cankarjev dom. That same year, the “Symposium on Genetics of Industrial Microorganisms” took place in Split, with active participation from Slovenian microbiologists. Collaboration between the Yugoslav Microbiological Society Association and international organizations, especially the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB), became increasingly intensive. In 1987, six Yugoslav delegates, including Slovenians, served on various EFB Working Parties. In the same year, Dr. Marin Berovič, in collaboration with SMD, organized the first international “Bioreactor Engineering” school at Otočec.
The Section of Industrial Microbiologists continued to organize lectures, mostly by foreign experts from Poland, Austria, the USA, and Germany.
In the fourth decade of the society’s existence, leadership was taken over by veterinarians, with Dr. Jože Grom as president. Their main task was organizing the 6th Congress of Microbiologists of Yugoslavia, held in 1989 in Maribor—the last joint congress before the breakup of the country. The president of the organizing committee was Prof. Drinovec. At the congress, the general assembly of the SDMJ elected Prof. Drinovec as its last president.
It was decided that the next congress would be organized by the newly founded Bosnian-Herzegovinian Microbiological Society, but this never materialized. At the same assembly, Prof. Bach from Zagreb proposed that future congresses should use only Serbo-Croatian and the Latin alphabet. Dr. Grom firmly rejected the proposal. The assembly also decided that the emblem of the 6th Congress of the SDMJ would become the official emblem of the association. After the breakup of the federation, this emblem—four bacilli arranged in the shape of the letter “M”—became the official symbol of the SMD.
The SMD entered the final decade of the 20th century by organizing a professional meeting, “Physiological Aspects of Product Formation by Filamentous Fungi,” of the EFB Working Party on Microbial Physiology, held in Gozd Martuljek.
In May 1990, the first issue of the SMD newsletter Mikrobilten was published, and it continued to appear regularly twice a year.
Plenary lectures continued to address current topics such as Lyme borreliosis, trichinellosis, ecological issues of Lake Bled, microbiology education, and in March 1991, a lecture on the misuse of biological agents in war and peace. In 1991, two excursions were held: to the Ormož Winery and to Droga in Portorož, including a lecture on the sanitary quality of Slovenian marine bathing waters, and visits to the Piran Bay mariculture site and the Saltworks Museum.
On 4 November 1991, the SMD convened an extraordinary assembly, at which it decided to withdraw from the SDMJ and establish an independent society, joining relevant international organizations (FEMS, IUMS, EFB, etc.). The statutes of the independent society were published in Mikrobilten. The first president of the independent Slovenian Microbiological Society (SMD) was Prof. Borut Drinovec.
In 1991, members visited the LEK plant in Lendava; in 1992, the Prosciutto House and Winery in Vipava; and a course on tissue cultures was organized under the guidance of Dr. Bratko Filipič and Prof. Maja Ravnikar. Materials from the course were published as the first two booklets of the SMD.
In 1993, the SMD was entered into the Register of Societies under number 365. That same year, at its congress in Florence, the EFB assembly accepted the SMD as a full member. Thus, ten years ago, the SMD gained recognition both at home and abroad.
Mikrobilten had already reached its tenth issue.
A major achievement of the society was organizing the 1st Congress of Slovenian Microbiologists in Bled in October 1993. The congress was welcomed by both founders of the JMD: Dr. Marta Blinc and Prof. Vera Johanides from Zagreb. The congress was financially successful, enabling the SMD to support six young microbiologists in attending the 7th International Microbiology Congress in Prague.
In July 1994, the Slovenian Microbiological Terminological Dictionary was published. At an SMD meeting, the rules for awarding Plenčič Medals and Certificates of Recognition were adopted.
In 1995, the society organized a course on “Methods of Preparation and Use of Monoclonal Antibodies.”
The SMD hosted a meeting of the international organization ECCO (European Culture Collection Organization) in June 1995 in Gozd Martuljek, combined with a UNESCO-endorsed meeting on biodiversity. Together with participants from both meetings, members visited the Škocjan Caves.
In autumn 1995, a ceremonial SMD meeting was held to commemorate the centenary of the death of Louis Pasteur. All contributions were published as the 3rd SMD booklet.
In 1996, two excursions took place: to the KRKA plant in Novo Mesto, and to the Zlatorog brewery in Maribor.
At the SMD annual assembly, the first Plenčič Medals and Certificates of Recognition were awarded to: Dr. Marta Blinc, Dr. Stanko Banič, Dr. Janez Batis, Dr. Miha Likar, Dr. France Megušar, Dr. Zlata Stropnik, Dr. Aleksa Cimerman, and Dr. Marjana Tratnik.
A new board was elected, with Prof. Aleksa Cimerman as president. The main task was preparing the second Congress of Slovenian Microbiologists. The president of the congress committee was Prof. Helena Hren-Vencelj. At a meeting at the Faculty of Biotechnology in Rodica, members were introduced to the use of the internet and the SMD website, developed by Prof. Franc Nekrep.
In May 1997, members visited the Institute of Brewing and Hop Research, the garden of medicinal and aromatic plants in Žalec, and the Roman necropolis in Šempeter. In June of the same year, they went on a professional excursion “In the Footsteps of Louis Pasteur” in France, visiting the Pasteur Institute and his grave in Paris, his birthplace in Dole, his home in Arbois, and the University of Besançon, where they were warmly welcomed by Prof. Jean Pierre Chaumont and Prof. Joelle Millet.
In 1998, the SMD statutes were harmonized with the new law on associations. The main effort of that year was devoted to the 2nd Congress of Slovenian Microbiologists, held in Portorož in September 1998. During the congress, the 40th anniversary of the society was also celebrated. The society’s work was presented, the booklet “The First 40 Years of SMD” was introduced, and Plenčič Medals and Certificates were awarded to: Prof. Ana Zlata Dragaš, Prof. France Megušar, Prof. Marijan Vozelj, Prof. Borut Drinovec, Prof. Helena Hren-Vencelj, Elizabeta Pertot, Jože Prevorčnik, and Dušan Završnik.
A new era of the SMD began under its new president, Prof. Peter Raspor. The crowning achievement of this period is the organization of the international FEMS Congress (Federation of European Microbiological Societies), held in Ljubljana from 29 June to 3 July 2003. We wish the congress great success and hope that the SMD’s work will continue to flourish in the 21st century.
Aleksa Cimerman