Vesna Girardi-Jurkić (15 January 1944 – 25 August 2012) was a Croatian

archeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

and

museologist Museology or museum studies is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including Curator, curating, Conservation-restoration of cultural heritage, preservation, ...

. She formerly served as the Croatian Minister of Education, Culture and Sport in the period between April 1992 and October 1994 in the cabinets of Prime Ministers

Franjo Gregurić Franjo Gregurić (; born 12 October 1939) is a Croatian politician who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from July 1991 to September 1992 leading a national unity government at the beginning of the Croatian War of Independence. Gregurić was ...

Hrvoje Šarinić Hrvoje Šarinić (; 17 February 1935 – 21 July 2017) was a Croatian politician who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from 1992 to 1993. Šarinić was born in Sušak and graduated from the University of Zagreb then-Faculty of Architecture, C ...

and

Nikica Valentić Nikica Valentić (; born 24 November 1950) is a Croatian entrepreneur, lawyer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from 1993 to 1995. He is to date the youngest person to have served in that capacity, being 42 years old when taki ...

. She was the first woman to be appointed a minister in a Croatian cabinet since independence. Born in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

in 1944, her family moved to Pula in 1947, where she finished high school. Girardi-Jurkić went on to graduate from the

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty may refer to: * Faculty (academic staff), the academic staff of a university (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a division within a university (usage outside of the United States) * Faculty (instrument), an instrument or warra ...

at the

University of Zagreb The University of Zagreb ( hr, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, ; la, Universitas Studiorum Zagrabiensis) is the largest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of ...

in 1968, majoring in archeology and English. Between 1969 and 1991 she held various positions at the Archeological Museum of Istria in Pula. In 1992 she was appointed Minister of Education, Culture and Sport and held the post until 1994, when she was named Croatia's

Permanent Delegate A permanent representative is a diplomat who is the head of a country’s diplomatic mission to an international organisation. Organizations that receive permanent representatives from their member states include the United Nations, the World Tr ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

. In 2001 she briefly returned to the Archeological Museum of Istria before going on to head the International Research Centre for Archaeology

Brijuni The Brijuni () or the Brijuni Islands (also known as the Brionian Islands; same as it, Brioni) are a group of fourteen small islands in the Croatian part of the northern Adriatic Sea, separated from the west coast of the Istrian peninsula by ...

Medulin Medulin ( it, Medolino) is a municipality in the southern part of the Istrian peninsula in Croatia. At the 2011 census the municipality had a population of 6,481, while the settlement proper had 2,777 inhabitants. Medulin is built around a harbour ...

. Her primary interest is the study of archeological sites from

classical antiquity Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...

around Istria. She authored several books about the subject.

References

External links

Vesna Girardi-Jurkić biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Girardi-Jurkic, Vesna 1944 births 2012 deaths Scientists from Zagreb Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb alumni Culture ministers of Croatia Croatian Democratic Union politicians Permanent Delegates of Croatia to UNESCO Croatian archaeologists Education ministers of Croatia People from Pula Women government ministers of Croatia Croatian women diplomats Croatian women ambassadors Croatian women archaeologists