Aim: To explore personal biography of Vinko Frančišković (1919-1984), to improve the understanding of the beginnings of Croatian cardiothoracic and transplantation surgery.
Methods: Comparative critical analysis of written published materials, archival materials and information collected through oral history interviews.
Results: Vinko Serafin Frančišković was born in Praputnjak, a settlement of the eastern surroundings of Rijeka, Croatia. He was raised up in the Italian language and culture by hisaunt, a mother's sister and her husband. He went to the Royal Classical Grammar School Giovanni Prati in Trento. On July 15, 1943, he defended his thesis, titled A contribution to the surgical therapy of fractures of the femoral neck at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Padua.
Conclusion: The represented data about Vinko Frančišković's life, especially those concerning his secondary and higher education, explain some of his crucial personal traits and his later professional pathway.