Uljanik is a shipbuilding company in Pula, Croatia.[1]
History
Uljanik was founded in 1856, in the carefully selected bay of Pula as a shipyard of the Austro-Venetian Navy (from 1867 to 1918 Austro-Hungarian Navy). The foundation stone was laid on December 9 by Empress Elisabeth of Austria so, this date is celebrated as the anniversary of the shipyard, one of the oldest operational shipyards in the world. Almost two years after laying the foundation stone – on October 5, 1858, the first ship – SMS Kaiser (1858) – having a deadweight of 5,194 tonnes, was launched from the berth. The construction of 55 ships of various type for the Austro-Hungarian fleet having a total deadweight of 53,588 tonnes followed.
It was named after an islet on which there used to grow olive trees while at present the steel and hull fabrication workshops are situated there. One olive tree has been preserved as a symbol.
In the long period of continuous work, the shipyard has passed through various development times. From 1918 to 1943 while under Italian control it was engaged in repairs, docking and cutting of old ships. After the Italian armistice in September 1943 it was taken over by German naval forces. From 1947 it was being renovated under the Republic of Yugoslavia. It continued with the docking, reconstructions and repair of ships, while the first new build ship delivered in 1951. With VLCC-s the shipyard developed the technology of building the hull in two parts and then joining them afloat.