Metlika

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Metlika
Metlika coat of arms Map of Slovenia, position of Metlika highlighted
Basic data
Country SloveniaSlovenia Slovenia
Historic region Bela krajina
Statistical region Jugovzhodna Slovenija (Southeast Slovenia)
Coordinates 45 ° 39 '  N , 15 ° 19'  E Coordinates: 45 ° 39 '4 "  N , 15 ° 18' 53"  E
surface 108.9  km²
Residents 8,123 (2008)
Population density 75 inhabitants per km²
License Plate NM
Structure and administration
Community type city
Mayor : Darko Zevnik
Website

Metlika ( German Möttling , previously Merling ) is a town and municipality in the Bela krajina (Weißkrain) in Slovenia . It lies on the border with Croatia . The area around Metlika is the southernmost wine-growing region in Slovenia.

history

Metlika

The area was inhabited in prehistoric times, demonstrating a variety of archaeological finds, including an urn field from the early Hallstatt period , Roman tombs on the mountain Borstek , three large Hallstatt grave hill in the city garden and La Tene - necropolis . Metlika (Möttling) has belonged to Carniola since around 1205, and it was granted city rights in 1335.

This made Metlika the center of the White Mark (also known as Weißkrain or Grafschaft Möttling ). Until the founding of the city of Karlovac , it played a key role against the Ottomans , who attacked it several times between 1408 and 1578.

In particular between 1529 and 1532 the surrounding villages were devastated. During this time, many Croatians and Slovenes fled to the then western Hungarian Burgenland . The old town, rebuilt after the great fire of 1705, has been preserved to this day. There is no building that is more than 300 years old.

During the Reformation on August 28, 1559, Protestant scholars who knew how to write Glagolitic script met in Metlika (Janž Tulščak, G. Vlahović, M. Zmajić, Štefan Stipanić, Sebastian Römer, Ivan Piček, Mihail Božić and others) to order from Primož Trubar the quality of that from Š. Konzul to check the Croatian translation of his texts in Glagolitic script. The examiners came to a positive result.

Around 1800, under Napoléon Bonaparte, over 200 French soldiers were stationed in Metlika, who moved from here over the Uskoken Mountains towards Agram (Zagreb) . Some of the soldiers married local women and settled in the Metlika area. Until the end of the Habsburg Empire , Metlika belonged to the Kronland Carniola , with Metlika forming an independent municipality in the judicial district of Möttling (political district of Tschernembl ). Metlika was the seat of the local district court.

Places of the whole community

Attractions

The core of the castle dates back to the Middle Ages, but after two fires in the 18th century, its appearance essentially goes back to the following epochs. Today the castle houses the Bela Krajina Regional Museum with an archaeological, cultural, historical, ethnographic and historical collection (Slov. Belokranjski muzej Metlika ), which goes back to the middle of the 20th century, as well as a gallery with works by local artists. The castle also houses the fire brigade museum, which reminds us that in 1869 the then lord of the castle Josip Savinšek founded the first Slovenian volunteer fire brigade with 27 men . A memorial in front of the castle reminds of this. To mark the centenary of this important event in 1969, the Slovenian Fire Brigade Museum was opened on the ground floor of the Metlika Castle, and in 1993 it was given its own building next to the castle.

A well-known wine cellar can also be visited here, in which the first ice wine bottled in Slovenia was made from Welschriesling grapes. Wine spring takes place here in May . In the summer months, cultural events under the motto Come to the castle in the evening bring the courtyard to life.

The parish church of St. Nicholas is a baroque building from 1759 with a strict facade and a nave with barrel vaults and side chapels. Its furnishings date from the 19th century, but are in the baroque tradition, as shown on the high altar. In the birth house of the sculptor Alojz Gangl (1859–1935) and the writer and poet Engelbert Gangl (1873–1950), documents on the life and work of the artists can be viewed. The former commander of the Teutonic Order is also instructive . Only about 2 km away there are other interesting places such as Rosalnice , where three churches stand next to each other, Božakovo (Saint Magdalene) with a church mentioned in the 14th century, Gradac with its famous castle and the park on the bend of the river Lahinja , and on the Croatian side Bubnjarci (Sankt Kosma and Damian), Vivodina , Ribnik with its castle, Ozalj (Ossel) an der Kolpa with its castle and the city of Karlovac (Karlstadt).

In the vicinity of Metlika there are numerous steljniki , which are sparse birch forests, in which bracken was cultivated as litter .

Current developments

There has been a youth center in Metlika since October 2011, which has already held over 100 events in its first year of existence. Two to three volunteers from France and Spain were employed in this center in 2012 and 2013.

A farmers market at the Gala shopping center has been open on Saturday mornings since October 2012.

The obvious decay of some buildings in the city center (house of the disabled people's association, the Konzum building and the former standing café) repeatedly leads to criticism of the administration for finally doing something about it. Among other things, the financing of the Konzum building directly on the main square near the castle gate failed due to state subsidies. The community wanted to house the city library and the city brass band in it. The applications for funding were rejected several times. The mayor defends the local government and puts the responsibility for the decay on the owners. He announced that the Konzum building will only be gradually refurbished from community funds, as there are not enough funds in the community budget. The roof should be replaced by the summer of 2014. In the following years the remaining building will be renovated.

According to the mayor, 5 million euros were invested in infrastructure measures in 2013, 37% of which came directly from the municipality's own resources.

future plans

In July 2012, reconstruction plans were presented for the three squares: Stadtplatz, Platz der Partisanen and Freiheitsplatz. The city planners suggested removing most of the stationary traffic. The upper part of the Freiheitsplatz will continue to be used as a park. The lower part is to receive a green island with an information stand. Changes should primarily affect the partisans' area, where the terraces are to be enlarged or redesigned in order to offer residents larger forecourt. The lighting and the greening (trees) should also be changed. Due to the tight budget, these plans could only be implemented with help from the European Structural Funds. However, the city does not have the necessary own funds for this, although the plans met with the general approval of the city councils.

Metlika's sons and daughters

Web links

Wikisource: Metlika in the Topographia Austriacarum (Mathäus Merian)  - sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ see [www.belokranjski-muzej.si Homepage of the Museum of White Krajn]
  2. ↑ Geografske značilnosti - metlika.si. In: metlika.si. Retrieved October 4, 2018 .
  3. ^ Metlika - Slovene regions and municipalities in numbers. In: stat.si. Retrieved October 4, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Website of Art Centrum Metlika
  5. ↑ MB-J. "Mladinski center je shodil" (The youth center stands on its own two feet), Dolenjski list, October 11, 2012, p. 8
  6. ↑ MB-J. "V Metliki dočakali tržnico" (Metlika finally gets a market), Dolenjski list, October 11, 2012, p. 8
  7. ↑ Andreja Brancelj Bednaršek (director of the Bela krajina Museum), "Vržena Rokavica-Časa ni več na pretek" (German: rubric: The gauntlet - there is not much time left), Dolenjski list, February 27, 2014, p. 2
  8. ↑ Darko Zevnik (Mayor of Metlika), "Vržena Rokavica-Lastnike lahko le spodbujajo" (German: rubric: The gauntlet-The owner can only be encouraged), Dolenjski list, March 6, 2014, p. 2
  9. ↑ M. Bezek-Jakše "Za ureditev mesta, a ko bo denar" (For the tidy design of the city if you have the money), Dolenjski list, July 19, 2012, p. 9