Publication of the book ‘Bibice – a Tale of the City in Light of the Work of Doctors from the Bibica Family’, authored by Associate Professor Ana Bakija-Konsuo, specialist of dermatoveanerology at the undergraduate study of Nursing and graduate study of Clinical Nursing of the University of Dubrovnik and Ivica Vučak, PhD, MD, has just come out of the press in the edition of Medicinska naklada Zagreb, and it will soon be published in English as well.
This valuable scientific work is intended for the students in the courses taught by the book’s author Bakija-Konsuo (the course at the undergraduate study of Nursing titled ‘Selected Chapters from the History of Medicine and Nursing’ and the course at the graduate study of Clinical Nursing, titled ‘History of Medicine’). It is also intended for the scientific and expert public as well as the wider community as a source where they can find numerous scientific facts from the history of Dubrovnik.
The book follows the work and life of four doctors from two families bearing the same surname of Bibica, who were active at the end of the 19th and in the first half of the 20th century. Their activity in Dubrovnik is indeed significant when one reflects about the history of medicine and the development of the medical profession in Dubrovnik. An overview of their numerous social and sporting activities is a valuable contribution to painting the picture of the life in Dubrovnik and the state of affairs in Dubrovnik at the end of the 19th and in the first half of the 20th century.
The activities of the members of the Bibica family makes part the Dubrovnik history, especially in terms of the history of medicine in Dubrovnik. Making the public aware about this lesser known part of the Dubrovnik’s history is a contribution to painting a holistic picture of the history of the City of Dubrovnik. ‘Because we do not only use history to read about it but also to learn about our present and our future. The rich medical history of our City obliges us. We should be aware of it and respect it as the source and foundation of our future activities so that we can leave something behind to generations to come after us, no matter how small’ – as the book’s author Associate Professor Ana Bakija-Konsuo, pointed out.
The story of the Bibica family members is by all means a story about this City and its people, a story about the life and human destinies at one period of time, framed by the context of the historical, social and political changes of these times. It serves as a testimony about the people who tied their vocation and their emotions to this City and thus participated in creating its identity in the best possible way. They enriched its everyday life and left their mark in its rich history.
The book has been reviewed by Professor Stella Fatović-Ferenčić, PhD and Professor Amir Muzur, PhD.
‘This is yet another monument, a testimony about the City resting on an urban culture spreading throughout the centuries, and not many cities in Croatia can claim this. This is such a heart-warming story – about medicine, about families with a lot of spiritual sensibilities, so that the readers really do identify with it and feel pride of being citizens of Dubrovnik.’
Professor Amir Muzur, PhD, MD
‘Although at first it seemed that this story of two families bearing the same surname, authored by Ana Bakija-Konsuo and Ivica Vučak, will be limited in terms of publishing several articles about it, it has become apparent the story has a much bigger potential. (…) From preliminary original texts a multi-faceted story about the life of the two Bibica families evolved, about their professional and private everyday lives which were intensely connected with the life of Dubrovnik.’
