Stenografska početnica (sustav Gabelsberger–Magdićev): Korespondentno i debatno pismo

Shorthand primer (Gabelsberger–Magdić system). Correspondent and debate writing by Slavo Dragić is an antiquarian professional textbook for learning shorthand, published in the sixth edition in 1929. The work belongs to the period when shorthand and typography were among the most important administrative and business skills and represented an integral part of the education of clerks, stenographers, journalists and civil servants.

The manual was created according to the Gabelsberger–Magdić system, the most important Croatian shorthand system created by adapting the German Gabelsberger shorthand to the Croatian language. The author systematically explains the basics of shorthand writing, character formation, rules for their connection, and ways of quickly writing down words, sentences and speeches. Special attention is paid to correspondent writing for business and private communication and debate writing intended for writing down lectures, discussions and public speeches.

The book has a very practical and educational purpose, and numerous examples and exercises enable the gradual mastery of shorthand techniques. As an antiquarian textbook, it today represents a valuable document of the history of education, office work, and communication skills in the first half of the 20th century. The sixth edition testifies to the widespread use and popularity of shorthand in the period before tape recorders and other technical means of recording speech. The work is also an important example of Croatian professional literature related to the development of shorthand education and administrative culture.