Publishing house adamić d.o.o. was established in November 1995. The founder and owner of 100% share is “Novi List”, d.d., of Rijeka. The company is named after Andrija Ljudevit Adamić, the nobleman of Rijeka, born on the 29^th of November 1767. His father was Simon Adamić, of Jewish origins, and a whole-sale tobacco merchant, an owner of large estates, and, for that period, very wealthy man. Thanks to family’s wealth, young Andrija left for Vienna, where he was attending military and merchant academy. At the same time, his father has made a whole range of enemies who could not wait for an opportunity to prove him that he was no better person than themselves. Simeon’s enemies have quickly found an occasion to accuse him that he had found a rich treasure deposit at Martinšćica when he had organized a reconstruction of an old chappel on his recently purchased property. The accusation was as absurd, as was intriguing- Simeon Adamić was accused of finding old burried treasure on his own property, and of failure to declare it to the imperial authorities, thus committing a significant offence.

 It is very likely that Simeon has encountered an archeological finds, because above Martinšćica there was a location of pre-historical citadel of Solin. Simeon’s accusation was made up of finding a burried treasure and of keeping the deposit away form imperial treasury in order to keep the entire deposit for himself. The authorities started an investigation, and soon, the prominent wholesaler of Rijeka was imprisoned, having as much as 14 witnesses to testify that he had kept away the legate.

 However, his son, Andrija Ljudevit Adamić, a young and Vienna educated merchant, with good connections on the imperial court, has quickly obtained a reception with Emperor Joseph II (ruled: 1780- 1790), and convinced him easily that those were archeological finds rather than hidden treasure found by his father and kept away from imperial treasury. Simeon Adamić was soon released by an imperial ordinance along with an additional order of not disturbing him any more. However, historical sources point out towards more commonplace fact: Simeon has suggested to his son to obtain with Emperor Joseph II his release and eventual reception with help of the Vienna Masons.

Anyway, Simeon was released from prison in April 1787, and purchased a garden from the Sisters of Saint Benedict order, located along the Rječina bed of that age (today: Mrtvi kanal), while he also built a sumptuous mansion on its most frequented part. At the base of each window, he placed a small column depicting each witness who accused him of hiding away alleged huge treasure from the imperial treasury.

The stone perjurers have remained as mute and absurd guardians until 1882. Meanwhile, Andrija became a treue businessman taking extensive journeys all over Spain, France and Italy.

The name of Adamić junior, Andrija Ljudevit, was mentioned significantly in documents yet another time during construction of a building, so called Adamić’s theatre, which was opened on the 3^rd of October 1805 on the location of today’s Modello Palace (which houses today the City Library).

Along with sugar refinery of that age, and the old Governor’s Place (on today’s Adriatic Square), Adamić’s theatre dominates over Rijeka, while already during 1828, the municipality of Rijeka ofers to Andrija a sum of 45,000 forints and 28,431 forints to other ownres in order to purchase the theatre. However, the municipality became full owner of the theatre only in 1845, while in 1883 the building was demolished (due to safety reasons- it was a wooden construction which lacked emergency fire exits). Soon afterwards started a construction of today’s theatre building.

 It is worth mentioning that so called Adamić’s theatre had around 600 seats, which was more than opulent and plentiful for Rijeka of that age, while inside the building there was a coffee shop as well as modern casino with a billiard-room. In 1805 when the theatre was opened, the entire property of Andrija Ljudevit Adamić was estimated at around 200,000 forints. To compare, let’s mention that Rijeka’s sugar refinery of that age was worth approximately 1.7 milions of forints (it covered need for sugar of the entire Austrian-Hungarian empire).

 At the same time Andrija has already a very well developed trade with Great Britain, France and Turkey, trading especially with ropes, shipbuilding timber and other exportable products. Due to his highly successful business connections with Great Britain, admiral Freemantle, commander of the British naval squadron in the Adriatic appoints him on the position of British consul in Rijeka in 1814.

 It is hard to explain series of facts which can be found about the duty of Andrija Ljudevit Adamić, however, it was obvious that he had been a very efficient person. How else can be explained that, for example in 1810, Andrija was a chief supplier of salt to the French Illyrian Provinces, an acomplishment for which he was especially credited by Marshal Marmont, while at the same time, he was also a salt supplier of Military Province for the Emperor of Austria.

 Indeed, because of his swiftness, Andrija was not surprised with an arrival of Croatian-Austrian army to Rijeka in August 1813, under command of Laval Nugent. At the Adamić’s house, indeed, there were English and Austrian commanders where the co-operation “with admiral Freemantle in connection with Trieste take-over” was established. This is so to say since Adamić’s co-operation with admiral Freemantle gave a sea-front support to Laval Nugent during the siege of Trieste and annulment of the Illyrian Provinces in November 1813. Soon, Adamić surrendered his temporary duty of British consul to John Leard, selling to him at the same time one of the most famous mansions of Rijeka, the so called “Villa Giuseppe”, purchased by Adamić already in 1802 from the Pasqual family. Allegedly, the building housed initial meetings of Rijeka’s Masonic loggia to which Adamić belonged too. One of subsequent owners of that famous villa was also the mayor of Rijeka, Giovanni di Ciotta (served: 1872- 1896), who was actually Adamić’s maternal grandson. He repayed back to his ancestor by transfering the 14 perjurers from the front of the building on today’s Fiumara, to his villa’s park (today, there are 14 perjurers in collection of stone monuments of well-known Governor’s Palace which houses the Maritime and Historical museum of Croatian Littoral).

 In addition to his Masonic relations, it is unquestionable that Adamić was a very succesfull businessman. In the period between early 19^th century until 1823, he was a major timber exporter (oak tree) to England, whereas from the letters addressed to Laval Nugent, it can be found out that Andrija was the one who gave a proposition to cover one third of Austrian debt to Great Britain by exporting timber, cut around Stara Sušica estate and purchased by laval Nugent at Gorski Kotar. In addition to business relations, Andrija Ljudevit Adamić was using cleverly his family ties as well. His daughter eventually married general Francesco Danese, who was credited for regaining Dalmatia. He also participated skillfuly in construction of the Louisiana Highway, as he purchased the land along future route of the road, he gave his support to the plan and co-operated in preparation for digging-up the navigation canal of the Kupa valley (which was unfortunately never realized). He also prepared foundation of a steamship company for navigation between Rijeka and Kotor and participated successfully in international trade.

 He was a frequent traveller on major European routes and made contacts with some of the most distinguished people of that period. He was in close and very intensive relations with Maksimilijan Vrhovec, Zagreb’s archbishop of that age, insisting in particular on building the navigation route of Kupa valley. Once the plan failed due to hard terrain, lack of funds and ununderstanding of potential investors, Adamić was the spiritus movens of re-directing money into construction of Louisiana Highway, thus he made a direct influence to opinions of archbishop Vrhovec as well as the Austrian court itself.

 However, speaking of predominantly “Rijeka’s investments”, Andrija was after all, the best-known as one of the founders of the paper mill. On the 1^st of September 1821, Andrija purchased a mill called “Lučice” across the mill “Zvir” under the citadel of Trsat, with an intention to set up a paper production there. Two years later, in 1823, he started a paper productrion in co-operation with William Moline, while the product, the paper, was very well received at market , therefore, its production grew constantly.

 Adamić was forced to sell the mill due to several misunderstandings connected with water supply to the mill and with building the route across monks’ Mala Brajda, as well as simillar troubles. The mill was sold to his acquaintanceWalter Crafton Smith, an agent who supplied England’s paper mills with rags and also worked with Adamić on timber export business. Walter Crafton Smith used his knowledge of paper production and soon started a very serious production in Rijeka, while already in 1883, there was a steam machine installed at the mill, being the very first one, not only in Croatia, but in the Balkan Peninsula too.

From 1824, Adamić had turned again to construction enterprise and worked on redecoration of front side of the Church of Virgin Mary’s Assumption. He was also distinguished as a serious adviser to Laval Nugent on the purchase of Trsat’s Frankopan castle bought by Laval Nugent with the help and co-operation of Rijeka’s Governor Urmany (served: 1826-1833).