Before independence of Croatia, geotechnical engineers were organized in the Yougoslav Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, which was founded in year 1949.
In year 1983 Croatian Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering was founded, but the membership in International Society was still realized through Yugoslav Society.
After the dissolution of former Yugoslavia, most of the six Republics became independent States (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Serbia). The Croatian Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, independent of Societies in other Republics, was founded in 1990. It was accepted as a member of ISSMFE on 15 July 1992, after the recognition of Croatia as the Independent State.
In the following text the name of the former Yugoslav Republic, related to the event or personality is indicated in brackets.
The Yugoslav Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering was founded during the 1st geotechnical conference, which was held in Bled (Slovenia), 7-9 October 1949.
Prof. Branko Žeželj (Serbia) was elected as the first President of the Society, and Dr. Lujo Šuklje (Slovenia) was elected as the Yugoslav delegate in the International Society.
The 2nd Conference of the Yugoslav Society was held in Opatija (Croatia) in October 1950.
The 3rd Conference was held again in Bled (Slovenia), 28-30 November 1951.
The 4th Conference was held in Aranđelovac (Serbia), 14-16 October 1952.
The 5th Conference, which was held in Ilidža, close to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) from 2-7 June 1954. The Yugoslav Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering had 42 active members, 78 adjoined members, and 29 group members (geotechnical companies).
The Second President of the Yugoslav Society was Dr. Lujo Šuklje (Slovenia), and Prof. Dušan Krsmanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was the Secretary. They were elected during the 5th Conference.
The 6th Conference was held in Dubrovnik (Croatia), 10-13 October 1955.
Prof. Ervin Nonveiller (Croatia) was the newly elected President, and Prof. Dušan Krsmanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was still the Secretary.
The 7th Conference was held in Ohrid (Macedonia), 21-26 April 1957. The Society had 51 active members, 66 adjoined members, and 42 group members.
The 8th Conference of the Society, was held in Čortanovci, close to Novi Sad (Serbia) in June 1959.
The 9th Conference was held in Belgrade (Serbia), 10-13 January 1963.
Prof. Dušan Krsmanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was elected President, and Ljubomir Filipović (Serbia) Secretary of the Yugoslav Society during the 9th Conference.
The 10th Conference was held in Portorož (Slovenia), 24-27 March 1966.
Ljubomir Filipović (Serbia) was elected President, and Prof. Ivan Sovinc (Slovenia) Secretary of the Society during the 10th Conference.
The 11th Conference was held in Skoplje (Macedonia), 26-28 September 1968.
The newly elected President was Prof. Ivan Sovinc (Slovenia), and the Secretary was Ivo Kleiner (Croatia) during the 11th Conference
The 12th Conference was held in Duilovo, close to Split (Croatia), 29 September to 2 October 1971.
The 13th Conference, which was held in Budva (Montenegro), 21 to 24 May 1975.
Ivo Kleiner (Croatia) was elected President, and Prof. Hamid Dolarević (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Secretary of the Society, whereas Prof. Ivan Sovinc (Slovenia) was elected as the Yugoslav delegate in the International Society during the 13th Conference.
The 14th Conference was held in Ilidža, close to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), 15-17 May 1978.
Prof. Hamid Dolarević (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was the following President, and Dr. Dmitar Miladinov (Macedonia) Secretary of the Yugoslav Society elected during the 14th Conference.
The 15th Conference was held in Ohrid (Macedonia) in 1981.
Dr. Dmitar Miladinov (Macedonia) was elected President, and Prof. Petar Anagnosti (Serbia) Secretary of the Yugoslav Society during the 15th Conference.
The last, 16th Conference of the Yugoslav Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, organised for all members of the former Yugoslavia, was held in Aranđelovac (Serbia) in 1986.
Prof. Petar Anagnosti (Serbia) was elected President, and Dr. Silvan Vidmar (Slovenia) Secretary of the Geotechnical Society of Yugoslavia, which was still composed of six Republics at that time, during the 16th Conference in 1986.
Proceedings from some of these Conferences were available for conference attendants. The papers were written in one of the languages spoken in the Republic, the author(s) were from.
(Data provided by Vlasta Szavits-Nossan, for ISSMGE)