Lendava

Lendava
Lendva

Občina Lendava
—  Town and Municipality  —
Lendava
Lendva
Location of the Town of Lendava in Slovenia
Coordinates:
Country  Slovenia
Government
 • Mayor Anton Balažek
Area
 • Total 123.0 km2 (47.5 sq mi)
Population (2002)[1]
 • Total 11,151
 • Density 90.7/km2 (234.8/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+01)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+02)

Lendava (formerly Dolnja Lendava; Hungarian: Lendva, formerly Alsólendva; German: Lindau, formerly Unter-Limbach, Prekmurian Dolenja Lendava) is a town and a municipality in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is close to the border crossing with Hungary at Dolga vas-Rédics, and Hungarian is one of the official languages of the municipality, along with Slovene. Lendava was a district (Hungarian: járás) of Zala in the Kingdom of Hungary until 1918. It was returned to Hungary again from 1941 to 1945.[2]

The town is the centre of the Hungarian minority in Slovenia. It is also known for the monumental theater and Hungarian Community Centre, designed by the architect Imre Makovecz. It has a football team, NK Nafta Lendava, which plays in Slovenian PrvaLiga.

The Parish Church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Murska Sobota.[3] There is also an Evangelical church in the town. It was built in 1931. Lendava Castle is a castle on a hill above the town centre and contains a museum and a gallery.[4]

Contents

Demographics

Population by mother tongue, according to the 2002 census, was:[5]

Jewish community

The first census of the population in the beginning of the 18th century mentions two Jewish merchants, and the following censuses showed an increasing Jewish population, composed of merchants, inkeepers, distillers, mead producers, lawyers and physicians. The leading Jewish family was the Perhoc family. They made Steel darts and sold vacuum cleaners to peasants. They played an important role in the economy of Lendava, owning a local hotel, few pubs and stores. Local Jews also started the first bank in Lendava. A Jewish school opened in 1850 and it was active until 1921. The last rabbi in Lendava was Mor Lowy.[6]

The synagogue in Lendava is one of only two synagogues left in Slovenia.

Twin towns — Sister cities

Lendava is twinned with:

References

External links