About us

Kumova Slama Astronomical Society was founded on December 5, 2008 through an organized effort of seven astronomy enthusiasts: Antun Boroš, Josip Prević, Davor Rohlik, Josip Mesaroš, Mirko Šulc, Goran Repinc and Nenad Šironja.

The first assignment was to name the society, which resulted in a great discussion over the many suggestions offered. Some of them included names such as Orion, The Pleiades, Vega, Ždral (The Crane) and, naturally, Kumova Slama, a name suggested and explained by Professor Josip Prević. His idea is how we got the name Kumova Slama, which is a local nickname for our Milky Way galaxy.

There is an interesting story that includes a character widely recognized in local anecdotes and jokes in Croatia – Cigo – who stole some straw and took it home in a tandem, a two-wheeled carriage drawn by horses. As the tandem shook, the straw kept falling out along the way and when he unloaded it in his backyard, police officers came running. When asked whose straw it was he had taken, Cigo replied: Whose straw would it be, sir? 'Tis my godfather's straw ('godfather's straw' would be a literal translation of the local term 'kumova slama' from the anecdote that created the nickname). The trails of stars lie scattered along the horizon as the straw did along the country road and they remind us of Cigo and his shaky cart.

The society's first elected president and secretary were Davor Rohlik and Antun Boroš respectively, who have since been re-elected to continue to perform their duties.

Members of the society’s executive committee are: Aleksandar Borojević, Antun Boroš, Željka Lipovski, Josip Prević, Davor Rohlik and Saša Selihar.. 

The supervisory committee includes: Mirko Šulc, Šimun Aščić and Denis Singer.