The Brijuni islands are situated 7 kilometers from Pula (a road, rail, air and maritime centre) near Fažana which is the terminal for the frequent connections by boat (15 minute ride).
During medevial times Brijuni islands were owned by the Counts of Pula, and later by Venetian noble families, like Dona, da Canal and Frangini.
1893: Paul Kupelwieser (1843-1919) bought the Brijuni islands in 1893 from Wildiche from Switzerland, and established a tourist resort.
1911: Carl Hagenbeck founded an acclimatization station for newly imported exotic animals, which also developed into a zoo.
1918: After World war I, Brijunni islands became a part of Italy.
1919: After the death of Paul Kuppelwieser in 1919, his son Karl took over his heritage. Karl Kupelwieser (1872 - 1930) established casinos and the largest golf course in Europe.
1930: Karl Kupelwieser made suicide.
1947-1980: After World War II the Brijuni became part of Yugoslavia and President Marshal Josip Broz Tito made the Brijuni Islands his personal State Summer Residence. Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik designed a pavilion for Tito. Almost 100 foreign heads of state visited Tito on his islands, along with film stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sophia Loren, Carlo Ponti, and Gina Lollobrigida.
1961: An african forest elephant arrived as gift from Guinea.
1970: The elephant bull Soni arrived as gift from Indira Gandhi.
1972: The elephant cow Lanka arrived as gift from Indira Gandhi.
1974: Josip Broz Tito was honnored by the danish order of the Elephant.
1978: The safari park was formed.
1980: President Josip Broz Tito died in 1980.
1983: the islands were declared a National Park of Yugoslavia.
1991: Croatia gained independence and made the Brijuni Islands an International Conference Center.
2010: Soni died.
Sources, among others
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brijuni
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