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Brežice (pronounced [ˈbɾèːʒitsɛ] ; [2] German : Rann [3] [ʁan] ) is a town in eastern Slovenia in the Lower Sava Valley, near the Croatian border. It is the seat of the Municipality of Brežice. It lies in the center of the Brežice Plain (Slovene : Brežiško polje), which is part of the larger Krka Flat (Slovene : Krška ravan). The area was traditionally divided between Lower Styria (territory on the left bank of the Sava River) and Lower Carniola (territory on the right bank of the Sava River). The entire municipality is now included in the Lower Sava Statistical Region. [4]
Brežice prides itself on a rich historical and cultural heritage. The Lower Sava Valley Museum (Slovene : Posavski muzej Brežice), housed in Brežice Castle, contains archaeological and ethnological exhibits, exhibits on the Croatian and Slovenian peasant revolt, and a modern history collection. It is one of the largest regional museums in the country. A more recent landmark addition to the town is its water tower, as well as the double arches of the 527 m long iron bridge, which spans the Sava and Krka rivers.
Celtic graves from the 2nd century BC have been discovered in Brežice, and it has been continuously settled since prehistoric times. A Slavic settlement called Gradišče was established at the site soon after the arrival of the Slovenes in the area. The castle in Brežice was first mentioned in 1249. The current structure dates to 1529. [5]
Brežice was affected by Ottoman raids several times during the 15th and 16th centuries. Peasant uprisings took place during the 16th century; in 1515 peasants attacked the castle in Brežice, burned it, and killed the nobility sheltering in it. The new castle was able to withstand the peasant uprising of 1573. [5]
The first school was established in Brežice in 1668, taught by Franciscan friars at the friary. From 1774 to 1780 instruction took place at Baron Moscon's residence, and from 1780 to 1820 at the rectory. A separate school building was built in 1875. [5]
A general hospital was established in Brežice in 1872. Its facilities were expanded in 1889. [5]
During the Second World War, Brežice and the adjacent countryside to the north and west were known as the Rann Triangle ( ‹See Tfd› German : Ranner Dreieck), an area intended for the resettlement of Gottschee Germans that had been evicted from the Gottschee region in the territory annexed by Italy. [6] [7]
Brežice expanded after the Second World War by annexing the neighboring villages of Brezina ( ‹See Tfd› German : Bresina), [3] Črnč (Tschernz), [3] Šentlenart (Sankt Leonhard), [3] Trnje (Ternje), [3] and Zakot (Sakot). [3]
Saint Lawrence's Church in Brežice was first mentioned in written sources in the 12th century. It stood on the bank of the Sava (now an old side channel). It and the adjacent cemetery were heavily damaged by flooding in 1781, which also changed the course of the river, and the current church was built in the town center in 1782. Brežice has been the seat of a parish since 1641. Another church in the town, built in the second half of the 17th century, is dedicated to Saint Roch. [5]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1948 | 1,349 | — |
1953 | 1,823 | +35.1% |
1961 | 2,641 | +44.9% |
1971 | 3,271 | +23.9% |
1981 | 4,043 | +23.6% |
1991 | 6,862 | +69.7% |
2002 | 6,510 | −5.1% |
2011 | 6,573 | +1.0% |
2021 | 6,888 | +4.8% |
Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions. |
Brežice Castle is the dominant feature of the town, standing above the left bank of the Sava. It is now a museum housing several collections and exhibitions. In the castle chapel there is an altar by Luka Mislej.
The Brežice Water Tower is the most prominent structure in the town, and is regarded as its symbol. Built in 1914, it was a key part of the town's water supply system until it was replaced by a new reservoir in 1972, after which it had an auxiliary role until 1983. [8]
The Brežice Upper Secondary School (Slovene : Gimnazija Brežice) opened in 1945, [5] is built on the site of a Franciscan friary. The school was renovated in 1966, when an extension was also added. 690 students attend the school. [9]
The Faculty of Tourism was founded in December 2009 [10] and is part of the University of Maribor, Slovenia's second-largest university. It is located in the center of the town on the main street, Cesta prvih borcev. In the 2012–2013 academic year it enrolled the first class of students in two three-year undergraduate programs in tourism: a vocational program and a bachelor's program. The faculty will also offer a master's program in tourism starting in the 2014–2015 academic year.
Notable people that were born or lived in Brežice include:
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Krško is a town in eastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the City Municipality of Krško. The town lies on the Sava River and on the northwest edge of the Krško Plain, which is part of the larger Krka Flat. The area is divided between the traditional regions of Styria and Lower Carniola. The entire municipality is now included in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Brestanica is an urban settlement in the Municipality of Krško in eastern Slovenia. It lies in the valley at the confluence of the Sava River with a minor tributary called the Brestanica. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Radeče is a small town in the Lower Sava Valley in eastern Slovenia. It is located in the Sava Hills on the right bank of the Sava River at the confluence with Sopota Creek. It is the seat of the Municipality of Radeče and part of the traditional province of Lower Carniola. The town and the municipality are now included in the Lower Sava Statistical Region; until January 2014 they were part of the Savinja Statistical Region.
Gottschee refers to a former German-speaking region in Carniola, a crownland of the Habsburg Empire, part of the historical and traditional region of Lower Carniola, now in Slovenia. The region has been a county, duchy, district, and municipality during various parts of its history. The term often also refers to the entire ethnolinguistic enclave regardless of administrative borders. Today Gottschee largely corresponds to the Municipality of Kočevje. The original German settlers of the region are called Gottschee Germans or Gottscheers, and their German dialect is called Gottschee German or Gottscheerish.
Cerklje ob Krki is a settlement on the left bank of the Krka River in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia. It is best known for the Cerklje ob Krki Airport north of the settlement. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola. It is now included in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Brežice Castle is a 16th-century castle in the town of Brežice, in southeastern Slovenia, at the street address Cesta prvih borcev 1.
Bizeljska Vas is a small settlement in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia. It lies in the hills north of Bizeljsko. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now included in the Lower Sava Statistical Region. It includes the hamlets of Ciglanca, Prekošnica, Stičnica, Maslarjev Breg, Podgrad, and Sračjek.
Bizeljsko is a settlement in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. It lies on the right bank of the Sotla River and in terms of its territory is the largest settlement in the Municipality of Brežice. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now included in the Lower Sava Statistical Region. It includes the hamlets of Bošt, Nimnik, Gradišče, Župjek, Spodnja Sušica, Zgornja Sušica, Janežičeva Gorca, Vrhovnica, and Vitna Vas.
Bušeča Vas is a village on the right bank of the Krka River in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Čatež ob Savi is a village on the right bank of the Sava River at its confluence with the Krka River in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Župeča Vas is a village on the right bank of the Krka River, east of Cerklje ob Krki in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Krška Vas is a village on the left bank of the Krka River, at its confluence with the Sava, in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola. It is now included in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Gornji Lenart is a settlement in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now included in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Mostec is a village in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now included in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Rigonce is a settlement in the Municipality of Brežice in eastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Straža pri Krškem is a small village in the hills above the left bank of the Sava River northwest of the town of Krško in eastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Lower Sava Statistical Region.
Podlesje is an abandoned settlement in the Municipality of Kočevje in southern Slovenia. It was a village inhabited by Gottschee Germans. During the Second World War its original population was expelled. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region.
Soteska is a settlement on the left bank of the Krka River in the Municipality of Dolenjske Toplice in Slovenia. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region. Soteska includes the hamlet of Ključ southeast of the main settlement.
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