Ribnica (; german: Reifnitz''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 48.) is a town in the Municipality of Ribnica in southern

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

. It is the seat of the municipality. It is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region.

Name

Ribnica was attested in written sources in 1220 as ''Rewenitz'' (and as ''Reiwencz'' and ''Reifenitz'' in 1241, ''Reiuenz'' in 1263, ''Reyuinz'' in 1303, and ''Reyfniz'' in 1327). The name was originally a hydronym derived from the common noun ''riba'' 'fish', thus referring to a stream with many fish and, by extension, a settlement along such a stream.Snoj, Marko. 2009. ''Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen''. Ljubljana: Modrijan and Založba ZRC, p. 354. In the past, the settlement was known as ''Reifnitz'' in German, and in the local dialect it is known as ''Rîbənca''.

History

Archaeological evidence shows that the area has been settled at least since the late

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

between 1300 and 900 BC. It is first mentioned as ''Rewenicz'' in written documents dating to 1220, making it one of the oldest towns in Slovenia.

Mass grave

Ribnica is the site of a mass grave associated with the Second World War. The Žiglovica Cave Mass Grave ( sl, Grobišče Jama Žiglovica) is located northeast of the town, in a former hay field on a slope overgrown with grass and sparse woods. It contains the remains of 14 civilians from

Prigorica Prigorica (; german: Büchelsdorf''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 48.) is a village immediately north of Dolenja Vas, Ribnica, Dolenja ...

, Žlebič, and

Pri Cerkvi–Struge Pri Cerkvi–Struge (; sl, Pri Cerkvi - Struge, in older sources also ''Pricerkev'' and ''Pri cerkvi'Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p ...

that were murdered on 28 July 1942. The men were abducted by a

Partisan Partisan may refer to: Military * Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line Films * ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film * ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...

patrol while clearing woods along the railway. Some of the victims were thrown into the shaft alive, and one of them managed to pull a Partisan in with him. After the murders, the local Partisan political activist insisted that the men had merely been sent to White Carniola for punitive labor, but the murders were acknowledged by some of the Partisan participants.

Landmarks

St. Stephen's Parish Church

The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the settlement is dedicated to

Saint Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...

and belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ljubljana. It was built between 1865 and 1868 and has a double belfry that was only completed after 1957 based on an idea by the architect Jože Plečnik.Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage
reference number ešd 2220 File:Ribnica 01.jpg, The French Bridge over the Bistrica River File:Grad Ribnica 01.jpg, Ribnica Castle

Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived in Ribnica include: *

Bojan Adamič Bojan Adamič a.k.a. Master ( sl, Mojster; 9 August 1912 – 3 November 1995), Slovene Partisans nom de guerre Gregor, was a well-known Slovene composer of jazz, the Slovenian song festival music, and particularly film scores. He was also an avid ...

(1912–1995), composer (born in Ribnica)Savnik, Roman, ed. 1971. ''Krajevni leksikon Slovenije'', vol. 2. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije, pp. 571–574. *

Jacobus Gallus Jacobus Gallus (a.k.a. Jacob(us) Handl, Jacob(us) Händl, Jacob(us) Gallus; sl, Jakob Petelin Kranjski; between 15 April and 31 July 155018 July 1591) was a late-Renaissance composer of presumed Slovene ethnicity.Skei/Pokorn, Grove online Born ...

(1550–1591), composer (presumed born in Ribnica) * France Prešeren (1800–1849), poet (studied in Ribnica) *

Simona Škrabec Simona Škrabec (Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1968) is a Slovene literary critic, essayist and translator who lives and works in Barcelona. She spent her childhood in the small town of Ribnica in the region of Lower Carniola. She has lived in Barcelona ...

(born 1968), translator, essayist, and literary historian (spent her childhood in Ribnica) *

Ivan Šušteršič Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...

(1863–1925), conservative politician (born in Ribnica)

References

External links

Ribnica on Geopedia
{{Authority control Populated places in the Municipality of Ribnica Cities and towns in Lower Carniola