Horjul, Horjul

Horjul
Horjul

Location in Slovenia

Coordinates: 46°1′22.64″N 14°17′53.28″E / 46.0229556°N 14.2981333°ECoordinates: 46°1′22.64″N 14°17′53.28″E / 46.0229556°N 14.2981333°E
Country Slovenia
Traditional region Inner Carniola
Statistical region Central Slovenia
Municipality Horjul
Elevation 339.8 m (1,114.8 ft)
Population (2002)
  Total 1,169
[1]

Horjul (pronounced [xɔˈɾjuːl]) is a small town in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia.[2] It is the administrative center of the Municipality of Horjul. It developed from a clustered village on the north side of the marshy valley of Horjulka Creek. It includes the hamlets of Vovčne and Lipalca.[3] Elevations in the territory of the settlement include Brezovec Hill (471 m), Rog Hill (448 m), and Lupar Hill (Slovene: Luparjev grič) (ca. 420 m) to the north, and Rožman Peak (Slovene: Rožmanski vrh) (452 m), Kremenik Hill (406 m), and Čelc Hill (391 m) to the south.[4]

Name

The origin of the name Horjul is unclear; various theories have tried to derive it from a Romance or Celtic root.[5] In the local dialect the town is known as Frjuj.[6]

Religious heritage

Church

Saint Margaret's Church

The parish church in the town of Horjul is dedicated to Saint Margaret and belongs to the Ljubljana Archdiocese.[7] It was first mentioned in written sources in 1526.[8] The church was originally built in Gothic style and was renovated in 1678. The rectory dates from 1787, when the Parish of Horjul was established. Two side chapels were built in 1858 following plans by Anton Leben from Polhov Gradec. The church's frescoes depicting Saint Margaret and various saints were painted in 1877 by Janez Šubic, who also created the altar painting of Saint Margaret in 1876. The church's main altar and side altar were made by the Toman workshop of Ljubljana.[3]

Cemetery

The town's walled cemetery was reworked in 1922 and 1923 following plans by Jože Plečnik. It lies in the northern part of the town, northwest of the school and Saint Margaret's Church. In the center there is a large wooden crucifix bearing the year 1881 and a monument. There are several gravestones from the 18th and early 19th centuries.[3][9]

Shrines

Several wayside shrines in Horjul are registered as cultural heritage:

History

A prehistoric Celtic cemetery was discovered in the village at the beginning of the 20th century.[3] Although the finds have since been lost, this late Iron Age site is the only evidence of a Celtic presence in the Horjul Valley. The discovery of some Roman-era water pipes is associated with the Polhov Gradec Villa rustica. Known as the Vovčne–Saint Margaret archaeological site, the cemetery is registered as cultural heritage.[13]

A part-time school was established in Horjul in the sexton's house in 1855. A regular school was established in 1861. In 1862 the sexton's house was torn down and a school building was built. A new school building was built in 1862.[3] The current school building dates from 1975.[14]

Second World War

Horjul was annexed to Italy as part of the Province of Ljubljana on 3 May 1941. Partisan activity began in the Horjul area in June 1941.[15] The mayor of Horjul, Janez (or Ivan) Bastič (1878–1942)[16] and his wife Marjana (née Zdešar, 1880–1942)[17] were abducted, tortured, and murdered by the Partisans on 14 June 1942.[18][19] A White Guard post was established in Horjul in November 1942. After the capitulation of Italy in September 1943, this was converted to a Home Guard post.[15] Horjul was bombarded by German forces in November 1943, with the loss of several houses.[3] The Partisans launched an unsuccessful attack against the Home Guard post on 8 September 1944.[15]

Other cultural heritage

In addition to its religious cultural heritage, several other structures in Horjul are registered as cultural heritage:

Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived in Horjul include:

References

  1. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
  2. Horjul municipal site
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Savnik, Roman, ed. 1971. Krajevni leksikon Slovenije, vol. 2. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije. pp. 411–412.
  4. Horjul at Pešpoti.si (Slovene)
  5. Snoj, Marko. 2009. Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan and Založba ZRC, p. 161.
  6. Planina, France. 1963. Slovenija in njeni kraji. Ljubljani: Prešernova družba, p. 46.
  7. Družna RC Church in Slovenia journal site
  8. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 1841
  9. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 24271
  10. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 18586
  11. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 18587
  12. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 18588
  13. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 20895
  14. Zgodovina Horjula (History of Horjul) (Slovene)
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Mlakar, Boris. 1990. "Horjul." Enciklopedija Slovenije, vol. 4. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, p. 42.
  16. Grave and biography of Janez Bastič at Find A Grave
  17. Grave and biography of Marjana Bastič at Find A Grave
  18. "Dve novi žrtvi komunizma" 1942. Jutro 22(138) (19 June): 2. (Slovene)
  19. Matija Škerbec. 1957. Krivda rdeče fronte. Cleveland: Author, pp. 28–30.
  20. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 24105
  21. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 24106

External links