Journal Istarski Borac/IBOR in the Context of the Culture of Dissent

Abstract

The first Croatian youth journal Istarski borac/IBOR was published in Pula from 1953 to 1979 (with two minor interruptions). The journal was published by the Istarski Borac Literary Club with the objective of preserving the Croatian language in Istria. The journal developed a reputation as a critical media in the 1970s, covering more and more cultural, local and social themes whose tone was not well-received by the socialist authorities, so the financing of the journal was cancelled in 1979 after which it ceased publication. The reason for the suspension of the journal was the poem »Please Master« by Allen Ginsberg, but the party documents reveal that the motive was also political. The question this article is trying to answer is whether the work of the last editorial board of Istarski borac/IBOR can be considered a culture of dissent?