Gradac Castle

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Gradac Castle

The Gradac Castle (historical names: Graecz, Gretz, Gradez, Gradecz, castrum Gretz or castrum Graecz, castle Grecz, gschloss Graecz) is located in the center of the village Gradac in Slovenia / region Bela Krajina at a bend in the river of Lahinja .

description

The Gradac Castle is actually a moated castle from the 13th century. It still consists of the buildings Visoki grad (high castle) , the elongated servants' building from the nineteenth century Nizki grad (low castle) , a renovated building that still serves as a residential house, a horse stable and the manorial park with gardens and mausoleum of one of the former owner of the W castle named Ivan Gusič . The castle used to have a wooden drawbridge to cross the moat. The castle is surrounded on three sides by the Lahinja River. The moat under the former drawbridge has been filled in.

The remains of the burned stables are still in the courtyard. There used to be another small wooden bridge that connected the castle with the properties on the other side of the Lahinja. This area is called Tropinek. The first iron foundry in Bela krajina was also located there . The current residential building served as a school for difficult-to-educate young people.

The palace once had a beautifully landscaped park with an avenue and garden. The approximately one hundred meter long avenue, consisting of mighty plane and spruce trees, was illegally felled in an act of vandalism in the 1990s after Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia. The wood was sold black. Only tree stumps now remind of the once magnificent avenue.

Although interest in the renovation and rededication of the palace complex for tourist or museum purposes has grown step by step, especially since Slovenia became independent, hardly any concrete measures were taken for a long time. Until well into the 1990s, the premises of all castle buildings served as apartments. A few years ago the municipality of Metlika built a new roof on the Visoki grad (High Castle) to prevent the building from deteriorating further. Talks about leasing the castle to interested parties from Italy and Ireland were fruitless.

The public discussion about the future of the castle awoke again in 2006. This happened when the Slovenian regional development program for south-east Slovenia was being discussed in public and the primary campaign for the municipal elections in Slovenia was going on.

Since the summer of 2006 there has been a successful initiative by the residents of Gradac, who are very committed to the revitalization of the castle.

This aroused the interest of the Metlika Municipality and the Ministry of Culture in Ljubljana . In the future, the castle is intended to serve tourism in the Bela krajina region . A hotel could be built on the castle premises and opportunities for active tourism are being examined (e.g. horse riding , tennis , golf , canoeing , etc.).

In March 2009 MP Renata Brunskole , who was also the mayor of Metlika municipality, put an oral question to the Minister of Culture Majda Širca during a parliamentary session. The inquiry related to the government's plans to revitalize Gradac Castle. The minister put the MPs off and pointed to the large number of castles in Slovenia that would be in a similar condition.

Nevertheless, a public tender was published on the Ministry of the Interior's website at the beginning of 2009 in order to find a long-term tenant. For this purpose, the castle, in addition to a planned wellness resort in Bela krajina, was included in the tender "Invest in Slovene Tourism" (Invest in Slovenian tourism).

Again and again, the inaction and especially the excuses of the community or the state in this matter are criticized in letters to the editor or targeted in glosses. The municipality says that the castle does not belong to it at all, but officially to the Republic of Slovenia, although at the same time it is opposed to the state transferring the castle to it. In addition, one would not even know what to accommodate in the premises, although project plans for a wellness hotel "have been in the drawers of the responsible ministry" since 2007. The various Slovenian governments state that the state treasury is empty, although a wide variety of similar castles have been renewed in the country in recent years, partly with EU funds, which are not requested in the case of Gradac Castle.

history

Gradac Castle was first mentioned in 1228 as the fortress " Graecz ". It probably got the name because of the owner Herbort (Herbert?) Von Graecz (Herward von Auersperg and von Grätz). Valvassor names two Grätzer from Slovenj Gradec (Windischgrätz), namely Berenger (year 1220) and Ortolf (year 1271). The von Grez family died out in 1475. As a result, the castle fell into the possession of the Auersperger from Turjak. In 1488 the owner was Erasmus Minndorfer and later Peter Čavič. Later owners in the 17th century included Jurij Lell , the Counts of Thurn-Valsassina , z. B. Johann Ludwig Thurn-Valsassina or Oton Henrik Graf Thurn-Valsassina, as well as the Counts Purgstall (in 1629 it belonged to Janez Baltazar Purgstall and in 1632 to his son Janez Jurij Purgstall zum Khrupp, Freyenthurn and Grädez). It is not known who owned the castle from 1625 to 1629 when the Slovene-language land register was created (see below).

In the book by Janez Vajkard Valvasor (1641–93) it is mentioned as the castle " Gradez (Gradec)" (or "Grätz"). And this is exactly how, namely Gradetz , the villagers still pronounce their place name today. The Slovenian term "gradec" means small castle or chateau.

The castle has been rebuilt or expanded several times in the past. At the beginning it was probably a fortress or castle to protect against the Turkish attacks, into which the peasants could take refuge. In the 15th century, a tabor belonged to the castle, which was later demolished in favor of the castle park.

In 1640 the castle was half destroyed by an earthquake.

From 1661 until 1846 it was owned by Count Gusič , who rebuilt the castle. In 1881 the castle was bought by the Ottenfels-Gschwind family . After them the owners were Baron Friedau and the Österreichisch-Alpine Montangesellschaft (year 1882), then the entrepreneur Robert Schlesinger from Opatija (1891). In 1916 Gabriela Goriany from Ruperč vrh bought half of the castle, but in the same year sold her share to the Croatian Eskomptbank in Zagreb. The last owner was the Zagreb merchant Šutej.

An ambulance had been set up in the castle since the capitulation of Italy, which was managed by Dr. Zvezdana Mervin was headed. Approx. 48 patients were admitted per day. In the autumn of 1944, additional medical centers were set up in the Macele house and the house of the Potočnik family. The soup kitchen was housed in the Pancetova gostilna inn.

After the Second World War, the castle housed a school for difficult-to-educate young people. The premises were later used as social housing.

Ironworks (blast furnace)

The first ironworks in the Bela Krajina region was in Gradac and was founded after the revolutionary year of 1848 by Franz Ritter von Friedau , who already owned ironworks in Donawitz ( Leoben ) and Vordernberg in Upper Styria . The reasons for this were, on the one hand, the increasing demand for iron and steel for the construction of the railways. On the other hand, in the course of the revolution, obstacles that had previously made the founding of iron works more difficult or sometimes even impossible were removed. This included lengthy approval procedures in Vienna by the competent imperial court authority. After 1848 economic liberalism and capitalism could fully develop. Among other things, free choice of profession, commercial activity and competition were allowed. Since there were coal deposits, iron ore and wood (forests) for the production of charcoal in the region , it was decided to build the ironworks in Gradac.

The ironworks was in operation from 1858 to 1881 and had 50 workers who were employed there. In total, it had around 300 employees and 20-30 coachmen with suppliers (coal mining and forestry). In addition to economic crises and strong competition from the merger of other smelters, the poor transport connections also led to the smelter's bankruptcy. For example, the iron produced had to be laboriously transported by horse and cart to the nearest train station, Zidani Most, in what was then Lower Styria at the confluence of the Save and Savinja rivers .

Handurbar

The handurbar of the Lords of Gradac in the Slovene language, which has been lost, is of particular historical importance . A land register is a register of the property rights of a manorial lordship and the services to be provided by its landed subjects and thus represents an important economic and legal source of medieval and early modern feudalism. Due to the Slovenian language version, it is an important document for Slovenian history, which has unfortunately been lost. This land register is the only land register written in the Slovenian language and is therefore of great importance.

In the will of Janez Jurif Baron Purgstall (Johan Georg Purgstall), dated March 29, 1640, the land register, written in Slovene, was listed as one of four. In the 17th century the trace of this handurbar is lost. In the inventory list for the will of Serena Magdalena Gusić, née Marenzi, from 1693, he is no longer listed. However, an old Stockurbar "vom Schloss vnd guett Gradez" is mentioned in the will of Janez Sigmund Baron Gusić in 1720.

Park and gardens

Once the largest tree in the park

The park is one of the most important heritage of garden architecture in Slovenia . Because of this, it is also mentioned in the regional development program for southeastern Slovenia for the years 2007–2013. According to Ivan Stopar, the park was laid out in the seventeenth century, when the Gusič family came into possession of the castle, although there is no precise information about it.

Mitja Simič described the park, its history and its potential for development.

The photo shows what was once the largest tree. This old photograph was taken around 1930. It shows Mr. Šutej with a child in his arms and his forester Mr. Ivec (2nd from left). Mrs. Šutej is sitting in a white dress. The other persons depicted are not known by name.

literature

The history of Gradac Castle is described in two books. Ivan Stopar has described all of the castles and palaces in Slovenia in several volumes . There is also something about the history of the castle in Ivan Jakič's book. Mitja Simič and Alenka Kolšek described the park and the gardens in their book.

At the end of 2019 the premiere of the world's first tamburica opera "Katarina in Ambrož" took place in Semič. 85 performers took part in the performance. The opera is set in Gradac Castle in the 17th century and is about the love between Katarina, the count's daughter, and Ambrož. Unfortunately, it has already been promised to the wealthy Vid Panjan.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Josef Wallner, Norbert Eisner "Unknown Slovenia", Zoppelberg Verlag, Sulztal, Austria, p. 117
  2. ↑ http://www.dol-list.si/si/?clanek=3126&stevilka=2710
  3. ↑ Grad Gradac je zanimiv za tujce, Delo, Ljubljana, December 29, 2005
  4. ↑ Država obljublja ureditev gradu, Delo, Ljubljana, October 5, 2006
  5. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 7, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.rc-nm.si
  6. ↑ Grad v Gradcu propada, Dolenjski list, Novo mesto, August 3, 2006
  7. ↑ Pozabljena Bela krajina, Delo, Ljubljana, September 18, 2006
  8. ↑ Bela krajina ima veliko priložnosti, Dolenjski list, Novo mesta, September 21, 2006
  9. ↑ Mladina.si
  10. ↑ Obisk vlade , Belokranjec, Gradac, July 2007, št. 7 / X, s. 3.
  11. ↑ Državi ni vseeno, kaj bo z gradaškim gradom , Dolenjski list, Novo mesto, July 26, 2007, št. 30 (3021), leto LVIII, see 1.
  12. ↑ Zapisnik seje z Ministrstvo za kulturo in občino Metliko v Kulturnem domu Gradac, 23 September 2007, KS Gradac
  13. ↑ Mladina.si and Dol-list.si
  14. ↑ http://www.mladina.si/tednik/200743/clanek/uvo-manipulator--vanja_pirc-2/
  15. ↑ Država naj bi začela obnavljati grad Gradac, Delo, Ljubljana, October 10, 2007
  16. ↑ Dol-list.si
  17. ↑ Kakšna bo usoda gradu v Gradcu ?, Dolenjski list, Novo mesto, p. 8, March 12, 2009
  18. ↑ http://www.mg.gov.si/en/areas_of_work/tourism/invest_in_slovene_tourism/ ( Memento from March 22, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  19. ↑ Letter to the editor "Bratuškova Šešoku nekaj položila na srce in Gradaški grad še brez rešitve" (German: Bratušek recommended something to Šešok and Gradac Castle still without a solution), letter to the editor in Dolenjski list, February 13, 2014, p. 33
  20. ↑ Živa Groza, "Belokranjska flakanja-Trkanje po lesu, priznanja, ropot" (German: knock on wood, awards, noise), Dolenjski list, February 13, 2014
  21. ↑ heading "sprehod po Metliki - Macki" Dolenjski list, March 13, 2014 p 33
  22. ↑ Letter to the editor "Bratuškova Šešoku nekaj položila na srce in Gradaški grad še brez rešitve" (German: Bratušek recommended something to Šešok and Gradac Castle still without a solution), letter to the editor in Dolenjski list, February 13, 2014, p. 33
  23. ↑ Ivan Jakič, "Grad Gradac" (German: Das Schloß Gradac), Slovenija-svet, revija za Slovence po svetu, 2004, p. 54
  24. ↑ MB-J. "Gradac je vse sprejel gostoljubno" (German: Gradac welcomed everyone hospitably), in Dolenjski list, Novo mesto, November 27, 2014, p. 8
  25. ↑ Ivan Mohorič in Kronika, časopis za slovensko krajevno zgodovino, 1953, letnik 1, številka 3, str. 183
  26. ↑ Boris Golec, Zapis o slovenskem urbarju gospodstva Gradac v Beli krajini iz let 1635-1629 (German: Record of the Slovene land register of the Lords of Gradac in Bela krajina from the years 1625-1629), ARHIVI XXIII (2000), št. 2, str. 144
  27. ↑ Mitja Simič, Grajski park Gradac, Revija za literaturo, kulturo in družbena vprašanja, October 1998, str. 488
  28. ↑ Ivan Stopar, Grajske stavbe v osrednji Sloveniji 2, Dolenjska. Knj. 5, Bela krajina, Viharnik, 2004
  29. ↑ Ivan Jakič, Gradovi graščine in dvorci na Slovenskem, Didakta, 1995
  30. ↑ Mitja Simič in Alenka Kolšek, Dolenjska Založba, Novo Mesto, 2000 mentioned in the daily Delo, Ljubljana, 19. October 2001
  31. ↑ Stoječe ovacije in pohvala svetovne zveze (German: Standing ovations and thanks from the world association), Boris Blaić, Dolenjski list, 03/01/2020, p. 1 and p. 3
  32. ↑ Interview on opera, station Vaš kanal

Web links

Commons : Gradac Castle  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 45 ° 36 ′ 49 ″  N , 15 ° 14 ′ 37 ″  E