Žumberak Mountains

Gorjanci / Žumberak
	Ridge from the Slovenian side
Highest peak	Sveta Gera / Trdinov vrh (Sichelberg, St. Geraberg) ( 1178 m. I. J. )
location	Slovenia : Jugovzhodna Slovenija , Posavska Croatia : Karlovačka županija , Zagrebačka županija;
part of	Dinarides
Coordinates	45 ° 47 ' N , 15 ° 23' E Coordinates: 45 ° 47 ' N , 15 ° 23' E
rock	Karst
surface	212 km²

The Žumberak ( Croatian ; or Slovenian Gorjanci ), German Sichelgebirge or Uskokengebirge , is a hill or mountain landscape in the border area between southeastern Slovenia and northwestern Croatia . The Croatian name (also Žumberačka Gora ) is derived from the castle complex and the village of the same name Žumberak . The Slovenian name “Gorjánci” comes from the word for mountain dwellers.

Žumberak on the Croatian side near Krašić

Ecovillage Žumberak

location

The gentle low mountain range is located about 40 km west of Zagreb and 70 km southeast of Ljubljana. It extends along the Slovenian-Croatian border from southwest to northeast.

The Croatian part of Žumberak essentially belongs to the Zagreb County , only in the west the Karlovac County has a share of the mountainous region. The Slovenian part belongs to the regions Posavska (Savetal) in the east and Jugovzhodna Slovenija (south-east Slovenia) in the west of the mountains.

The Slovenian valley of the Krka river runs north of the ridge from the town of Novo mesto in the west to its confluence with the Save near Brežice . The foothills in the east extend as far as the Croatian town of Samobor , beyond the Save the mountains in the Medvednica find their continuation in the east. In the Croatian south, the cities of Samobor, Ozalj and Jastrebarsko border the mountainous area. In the west, the Gorjanci extend to the Novo mesto - Črnomelj line , where a narrow ridge (up to 850 m) north of Semič merges into the karst plateau of the Kočevski Rog (Horn Forest). The Slovenian Metlika is an important city in the southwest .

landscape

Geographically and geologically, Žumberak / Gorjanci is a pronounced karst area with corresponding vegetation. This is characterized by caves, clefts and karst rivers. The forests there are mainly covered with beech and chestnut trees .

The highest point of the mountains with 1178 m. i. J. is located on the border line and is called Sveta Gera in Croatian , Trdinov vrh in Slovenian (named after the poet Janez Trdina in 1923 ). On the highest peak there is a 90 m high radio tower from Radio Televizija Slovenija and a station for the Slovenian radio amateurs. The summit is relatively heavily forested and therefore the view for hikers is limited. Basically, however, you can look far into the Slovenian regions Dolenjska and Bela krajina or to Novo mesto , Metlika and Zagreb .

history

The ridge was already settled in the times of the Celts and Romans . Many localities are at an altitude of 400 m above sea level. The settlement of this area was carried out by Croats between the 7th and 8th centuries. At first it remained part of Croatia . Since the foundation of the Zagreb diocese in 1094, this area has been under the jurisdiction of the new diocese. By the Hungarian King Andrew II , it was attached to the Slovene Carniola , with the associated towns of Metlika and Črnomelj , in the 13th century . In the 14th century there were territorial disputes between the Archdiocese of Zagreb and the Archdiocese of Gorizia , which belonged to the Patriarchate of Aquileja . In terms of canon law, this area remained part of the Patriarchate of Aquileia until 1784. From 1784 the area was again partially incorporated into the Archdiocese of Zagreb.

Modern times

As a result of the devastation in the Turkish wars in the middle of the 15th century, the Žumberak area and the neighboring Slovenian Bela Krajina lost a large part of their population. In order to stop the flight of the rural population, the Habsburg monarchy first settled Uskoks in 1530 to protect the newly established military border . These fortified farmers were mainly Croats from the areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina and various ethnic groups of Orthodox Christians , summarized as Wallachians including Serbs from the Ottoman- occupied areas of the Balkan Peninsula, who fled there from 1527. 1578 Žumberak was an administrative unit of Kapitanats of Slunj and in the Croatian Military Frontier incorporated. The majority of the population in this area is still a denominational Greek Catholic and belongs to the diocese of Križevci under canon law . The oldest Greek Catholic parish in Žumberak, St. Nicholas, is located in the village of Badovinci and was founded in 1620.

20th century

Due to this important geographical location advantage, the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) operated a military observation post there. After the fall of Yugoslavia , it was taken over by the Slovenian Army and remained a bone of contention (see International Conflicts of the Successor States of Yugoslavia ). After the decision of the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague at the end of June 2017, this item must be returned to Croatia.

Cross-border development

Interesting part of the border in Žumberak

In general, the Slovenian-Croatian relationship on this section of the common border can be described as good neighborly. This is especially true for the Slovenian region of Bela krajina. Many mixed-language marriages, as well as cross-border cooperation in cultural and economic fields, bear witness to this. For example, on the Slovenian side there is an association of the Žumberaker and Friends of Žumberak, i. H. an association that cultivates the Croatian culture of the common mountains.

Conservation and Tourism

On the Croatian side, the Žumberak-Samoborsko gorje nature park was established in 1999 . Similar plans exist in Slovenia. The area has many natural treasures such as springs (Minutnik, Gospodična, Jordan) and streams (Kobila, Pendirjevka, Klamfer, Sušica), a beech forest on the Trdinov vrh, karst caves (on the Slovenian side Kostanjeviška jama, Studena jama, Levakova jama and Jama v Šutni , on the Croatian side Jazovka ), or various plant and animal species. That is why the Gorjánci serve as an important local recreation area with numerous hiking trails, especially for the Novo mesto and Metlika areas .

On the Slovenian side, hikers like to visit the “Gospodična” spring, which is said to have healing powers in that it makes you younger when you wash yourself with the water. According to a legend by Janez Trdina, this should have happened after a lady of the castle. According to a report in the weekly newspaper “Dolenjski list”, which cites studies by the health department in Novo mesto and a school in Novo mesto, the water is not suitable for human consumption. The water must be disinfected before use. A warning sign should actually be attached to the source. The hiking hut at the source is supplied by its own source. However, this water is disinfected from time to time.

Culture

There are many legends and traditions from this area in which the Slovenian population lives in harmony with the descendants of the Uskoks . The Slovenian historian and writer Janez Trdina (1830–1905) collected these stories .

Web links

Commons : Žumberak Highlands - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

swell

^ Portal Fran, dictionary of the Institute for Slovene Language Fran Ramoveš ZRC SAZU, accessed on February 23, 2018
↑ Archive link ( Memento of December 14, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), Uskoken, article by Ruth Simon Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, accessed on January 23, 2009.
↑ 1408 First came the Turks, then the Uskoks, exhibition catalog of the Bela krajina Museum Metlika, 2008
↑ 1408 First came the Turks, then the Uskoks, exhibition catalog of the Bela krajina Museum Metlika, 2008
↑ cf. Uskočki vapaj za spasom ( Memento from February 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), report on the Greek-Catholic population of Žumberak by the church newspaper of the Archdiocese of Zagreb, Glas Koncila , article from June 25, 2006, accessed on August 16, 2008.
↑ M. Bezek-Jakše, "Pri Žumberčanih ni šlo brez čustev" (German: The Žumberak club was not without feelings), Dolenjski list, Novo mesto, February 20, 2014, p. 8.
^ Irena Novak, "Izvir Gospodična-Za umivanje še, za pitje pa ne!" (German: Die Quelle Gospodična: Still suitable for washing, but not for drinking!), Dolenjski list, February 27, 2014, p. 4.

[1] Portal Fran, dictionary of the Institute for Slovene Language Fran Ramoveš ZRC SAZU, accessed on February 23, 2018

[2] Archive link ( Memento of December 14, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), Uskoken, article by Ruth Simon Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, accessed on January 23, 2009.

[3] 1408 First came the Turks, then the Uskoks, exhibition catalog of the Bela krajina Museum Metlika, 2008

[4] 1408 First came the Turks, then the Uskoks, exhibition catalog of the Bela krajina Museum Metlika, 2008

[5] . Uskočki vapaj za spasom ( Memento from February 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), report on the Greek-Catholic population of Žumberak by the church newspaper of the Archdiocese of Zagreb, Glas Koncila , article from June 25, 2006, accessed on August 16, 2008.

[6] M. Bezek-Jakše, "Pri Žumberčanih ni šlo brez čustev" (German: The Žumberak club was not without feelings), Dolenjski list, Novo mesto, February 20, 2014, p. 8.

[7] Irena Novak, "Izvir Gospodična-Za umivanje še, za pitje pa ne!" (German: Die Quelle Gospodična: Still suitable for washing, but not for drinking!), Dolenjski list, February 27, 2014, p. 4.