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Description

Finely illustrated promotional map of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, published shortly after the name of the Kingdom was changed from the the Kingdom of Slovenes, Serbs and Croats to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

The map shows in fine detail the roads of the Kingdom, along with an advertisement for a pharmaceutical company named Alga from Sušak in Croatia.

The map shows the transportation routes in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the late 1920s, including:

  • quick and slow train routes
  • steamboat routes
  • planned railroads
  • roads good for cars and small roads
  • postal routes with public transport
  • car roads with public transport
  • border crossings
  • spas
  • state borders and capitals.

The icons for gas stations and small train stations are left blank.

The map was printed in Zagreb in Slovenian language, as a promotional item for a pharmaceutical firm Alga from Sušak by Rijeka (Fiume) on the Croatian coast. Alga was founded in 1926 by Vladimir Kezele and Vinko Budak and was named after a Budak's product "Alga", which was a huge success on the market for years. Two of their famous products: a massage oil and an energizing drink are depicted on the present map.

The map celebrates the awards won by Alga products between 1914 and 1928.

The firm Alga moved into a modern Art Deco house in the town in 1926 and was investing vast amounts of money on a high quality design of advertisements in popular newspapers and in private ads and brochures. This map was made by a Zagreb based printer Rožankowski, who was famous for his glossy posters in the style of Art Nouveau, bonds and other elaborate prints.

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia existed during the interwar period (1918-1939) and first half of World War II (1939-1943). It was formed in 1918 by the merger of the provisional State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (itself formed from territories of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire) with the formerly independent Kingdom of Serbia. The Kingdom of Montenegro had united with Serbia five days previously, while the regions of Kosovo, Vojvodina and Vardar Macedonia were parts of Serbia prior to the unification.

For its first eleven years of existence, the Kingdom was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" was its colloquial name from its origins. The official name of the state was changed to "Kingdom of Yugoslavia" by King Alexander I on 3 October 1929.

The state was ruled by the Serbian dynasty of Karađorđević, which previously ruled Kingdom of Serbia under Peter I from 1903 (after the May Overthrow) onwards. Peter I became the first king of Yugoslavia until his death in 1921. He was succeeded by his son Alexander I, who had been regent for his father. He was known as "Alexander the Unifier" and he renamed the kingdom "Yugoslavia" in 1929. He was assassinated in Marseille by Vlado Chernozemski, a member of Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), during his visit to France in 1934. The crown passed to his then-still under-aged son Peter. His cousin Paul ruled as Prince regent until 1941, when Peter II would come of age. The royal family flew to London the same year, prior to the country being invaded by the Axis powers.

In April 1941, the country was occupied and partitioned by the Axis powers. A royal government-in-exile, recognized by the United Kingdom and, later, by all the Allied powers, was established in London. In 1944, after pressure from the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the King recognized the government of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia as the legitimate government. This was established on November 2, 1944 following the signing of the Treaty of Vis by Ivan Šubašić (on behalf of the Kingdom) and Josip Broz Tito (on behalf of the Yugoslav Partisans).