Žužemberk
| Žužemberk | |
|---|---|
| Town and Municipality | |
 | |
 | |
_location_map.svg.png)  Žužemberk | |
| Coordinates: 45°50′N 14°56′E / 45.833°N 14.933°ECoordinates: 45°50′N 14°56′E / 45.833°N 14.933°E | |
| Country |
 Slovenia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Franc Škufca |
| Area | |
| • Total | 164.3 km2 (63.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2002)[1] | |
| • Total | 4,579 |
| • Density | 28/km2 (72/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+01) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+02) |
| Website | www.zuzemberk.si |
| Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, census of 2002. | |
Žužemberk (German: Seisenberg), is a town and a municipality in the Dinaric Alps of Slovenia, located south-east of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia statistical region. As of 2002 the municipality had a total population of 4579. Žužemberk lies in the southern part of Carniola on the left bank of the Krka River and is dominated by a medieval castle. The parish church was completely destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in recent years. The municipality contains around three settlements.
History
The Romans built a road through the region. Žužemberk is first mentioned in written documents dating to 1246. In 1399 it was granted market rights. The castle is believed to date back to around 1000, and the castle chapel dedicated to of St. Ulrich was built in 1046.[2] The village that grew around the castle was located at the intersection of roads, and most of its inhabitants were craftsmen or peasants who traded their goods and organised fairs.[2]
Between 1526 and 1533, the prince bishop Krištof Rauba fortified the castle and added seven defence towers or bastilles.[2] As a result of its new strength, the brothers Jurij and Wolf Auersperg from Turjak bought the castle in 1538, and for centuries the castle and town were in the possession of the leading noble Auersperg family.[3][4] One of its most esteemed owners was Janez Vajkard I Auersperg, the tutor of the emperor Ferdinand III, who was court councillor and the first minister in the Habsburg monarchy, and who obtained family rights to prevent the castle's sale.[4] In the 16th century the town suffered repeated attacks. In 1559, the castle was conquered by Gregor, an illegitimate son of Jurij Turjaški with eighteen soldiers, but this conquest was quickly suppressed, and the castle was recaptured by Herbart Turjaški, the general of the Croatian region of the time, and the dead soldiers were thrown into the forest to be devoured by wild beasts.[2] In 1575, Countess Ana von Eck from Brda was killed by a tame bear in the castle courtyard.[4]
Over the next century a number of important nobles were born in the town, including in 1557 Andrej Auersperg Šumberski, the son of Wolf Engelbert, who after completing his studies in Padova, went on the receive a decoration by both the Pope and the Habsburg Emperor for his role in the defeat of the Turks in 1593.[2] In 1615 Janez Vajkard Auersperg was born in Žužemberk. He became the tutor of the emperor Ferdinand III, later becoming a prince and first minister in the Habsburg monarchy, and a cardinal in 1669, upon which he returned to this town, where he died in 1677.[2] His great-grandson, Jožef Franc Anton, became a cardinal in 1783.[2]
The Auersperg family established a notable ironworks in the town, and the steel industry was important to the economy. The Auersperg installed a blast furnace and ironworks in 1763, and were granted permission for extensive iron mining in the area.[4] By 1891, however, the industry operations in Žužemberk faced excessive competition and costly production and ceased operating.[4] A number of sawmills and water mills also developed in the town, and Žužemberk also has one of the oldest paper mills in Slovenia.[4] In 1775, the Empress Maria Theresa gave consent to guild of seventeen tanners in Žužemberk, and it became an important trade, with merchants in Žužemberk making trousers, aprons, wine-skins and wheat sacks.[2] The castle served as a prison for many years, but was depopulated in 1893.[4]
During the Second World War, Italian occupation troops were stationed at the castle and guerrillas set it on fire. In February 1945, Žužemberk, being an Italian stronghold, was attacked by Allied bombers. The castle was heavily damaged but not destroyed (as the church was), and restoration work began in the 1960s.[3]
Settlements
Žužemberk, Boršt pri Dvoru, Brezova Reber pri Dvoru, Budganja vas, Dešeča vas, Dolnji Ajdovec, Dolnji Kot, Dolnji Križ, Drašča vas, Dvor, Gornji Ajdovec, Gornji Kot, Gornji Križ, Gradenc, Hinje, Hrib pri Hinjah, Jama pri Dvoru, Klečet, Klopce, Lašče, Lazina, Lopata, Mačkovec pri Dvoru, Mali Lipovec, Malo Lipje, Pleš, Plešivica, Podgozd, Podlipa, Poljane pri Žužemberku, Prapreče, Prevole, Ratje, Reber, Sadinja vas pri Dvoru, Sela pri Ajdovcu, Sela pri Hinjah, Srednji Lipovec, Stavča vas, Šmihel pri Žužemberku, Trebča vas, Veliki Lipovec, Veliko Lipje, Vinkov Vrh, Visejec, Vrh pri Hinjah, Vrh pri Križu, Vrhovo pri Žužemberku, Zafara, Zalisec, Žvirče.
Culture
Žužemberk has an exceptional cultural heritage, and the municipality has 54 recognized cultural monuments, 12 of which are sites of national importance.[4]
Žužemberški castle is a prominent medieval fortress rising above the Krka river. During the summer months festivities are held in the castle courtyard, which since 1997 have been successfully organized by the Tourist Association. A municipal holiday is held on the 15th July.[4]
The Church of Saint Nicholas in Žužemberk is the oldest surviving church in the area.[4] The church was first built in the Gothic style in the 13th century. Its famous frescoes with one of the most notable ones depicting Adam and Eve date from the 14th century. The Church of Saint Agnes dates a little later in the 13th century and the church of Saints Hermagoras and Fortunatus, which was completed in 1769. The latter was burnt down during World War II, and only renovated in the late 20th century after Slovenia became independent. The tract of a Roman road along the slopes of hills in Acerva (Ivančna Gorica) was in use until 1859 when it was replaced with another road through the Krka river valley.[4] There are also several tombs and a monument to the Liberation War located on the 305 metre high hill called the Tumplac. It was created by sculptor Marjan Tepine, and was erected in 1961.[4]
The municipality also has a very dynamic cultural life, with many singing groups and choirs, and a number of cultural associations. Volleyball is notably played in the municipality and some professional volleyball and basketball players hail from this municipality.[4]
Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Žužemberk include:
- Andreas von Auersperg (1556–1593), Carniolan noble and military leader
- Johann von Auersperg Weikhard (1615–1677), Duke of Munsterberg, Chief Steward and President of the Privy Council at the Viennese court
- Franc Blažič (1897–?), composer
- Ignacij Fabiani (1882–?), composer
- Alfonz Inkret (1901–?), journalist and animal husbandry expert
- Jože Jakša (1895–1954), technical writer and dermatologist
- Ignacij Kleinmayr (1795–1874), publisher
- Ernest Pehani (1900–1971), technical writer and electrical engineer
- Josip Sicherl (1860–1935), composer
- Marica Slavec-Nahtigal (1869–1962), actress
- Anča Tavčar-Konvalinka (1901–1976), technical journalist and physician
- Karel Ulepič (1810–1862), local historian and editor
Gallery
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Žužemberk Castle
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References
- ↑ Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, census of 2002
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "History". Občina Žužemberk. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Žužemberk Castle". Slovenian Tourist Board. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 "Tourist sights". Občina Žužemberk. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Žužemberk. |
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