Prekmurje (;
dialectically: ''Prèkmürsko'' or ''Prèkmüre''; hu, Muravidék) is a geographically, linguistically, culturally and ethnically defined region of
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 ...
, settled by
Slovenes
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their na ...
and a
Hungarian minority, lying between the
Mur River
The Mur () or Mura (; ; ; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Müra''Novak, Vilko. 2006. ''Slovar stare knjižne prekmurščine''. Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU, pp. 262, 269. or ''Möra'') is a river in Central Europe rising in the Hohe Tauern national park of th ...
in
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 ...
and the
Rába Valley (the
watershed of the
Rába
The Rába (german: Raab; hu, Rába; sl, Raba ) is a river in southeastern Austria and western Hungary and a right tributary of the Danube.
Geography
Its source is in Austria, some kilometres east of Bruck an der Mur below Heubodenhöhe Hill. ...
; sl, Porabje) in the westernmost part of
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
. It maintains certain specific linguistic, cultural and religious features that differentiate it from other Slovenian traditional regions. It covers an area of and has a population of 78,000 people.
Name
It is named after the
Mur River
The Mur () or Mura (; ; ; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Müra''Novak, Vilko. 2006. ''Slovar stare knjižne prekmurščine''. Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU, pp. 262, 269. or ''Möra'') is a river in Central Europe rising in the Hohe Tauern national park of th ...
, which separates it from the rest of Slovenia (a literal translation from
Slovene would be ''Over-Mur'' or ''Transmurania''). In
Hungarian, the region is known as ''Muravidék'', and in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
as ''Übermurgebiet''.
The name Prekmurje was introduced in the twentieth century, although it is derived from an older term. Before 1919, the Slovenian-inhabited lands of
Vas County in the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
and
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
were known as the
Slovene March or "
Vendic March" (in Slovenian: ''Slovenska krajina'', in Hungarian: ''Vendvidék''). The part of modern Prekmurje that belonged to
Zala County
Zala ( hu, Zala megye, ; ; ) is an administrative county ( comitatus or ''megye'') in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia ( Koprivnica–Križevci and Međimurje Counties) and Slovenia ( Lend ...
(the area between
Lendava
Lendava (; formerly ''Dolnja Lendava'', in older sources also ''Dolenja Lendava''; hu, Lendva, formerly ''Alsólendva''; german: Lindau, formerly ''Unter-Limbach'') is a town in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is the seat of the Municip ...
,
Kobilje and
Beltinci) was not considered to be a part of the Slovenian March. Until the early 19th century, this region of the Zala County belonged
ecclesiastically to the
Archdiocese of Zagreb
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zagreb ( hr, Zagrebačka nadbiskupija, la, Archidioecesis Zagrebiensis) is the central archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Croatia, centered in the capital city Zagreb. It is the metropolitan see of Croatia, an ...
and in the legal documents of the Archdiocese it was called as "Transmurania" or "Prekmurje", that is the "territory on the other side of the Mur River". After 1919, this name was reintroduced, now for administrative purposes, by the new
Yugoslav administration. It, however, did not gain much popularity among the locals. The name "Slovenian March" was still used by the local inhabitants until the mid 1920s, but was gradually replaced by the term "March of the Mur" (Slovenian: ''Murska krajina''). The current Hungarian name for Prekmurje, ''Muravidék'', dates from the interwar period and is a translation of the Slovenian ''Murska krajina''. From the mid 1930s onward, the name Prekmurje became widely used in the press and eventually became the most common name for the region. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, this name replaced all previous designations.
Nowadays, the older term ''Vendvidék'' still exists in Hungarian, but it is used only for the small settlement area of
Hungarian Slovenes
Hungarian Slovenes ( Slovene: ''Madžarski Slovenci'', hu, Magyarországi szlovének) are an autochthonous ethnic and linguistic Slovene minority living in Hungary. The largest groups are the Rába Slovenes ( sl, porabski Slovenci, dialectical ...
between
Szentgotthárd
Szentgotthárd ( sl, Monošter; german: St. Gotthard) is the westernmost town of Hungary. It is situated on the Rába River near the Austrian border.
History
The town took its name from, and grew up round, the Cistercian Szentgotthárd Abbey, fo ...
and the Slovenian border that remained part of Hungary after 1919.
Geography
The region is divided into three geographical subregions: the hilly area to the north of
Murska Sobota
Murska Sobota (, Slovenian abbreviation: ''MS'' ; german: Olsnitz;''Radkersburg und Luttenberg'' (map, 1:75,000). 1894. Vienna: K.u.k. Militärgeographisches Institut. hu, Muraszombat) is a town in northeastern Slovenia. It is the centre of the ...
, known as ''Goričko'' (literally, 'the uplands'); the eastern flatlands along the
Mur River
The Mur () or Mura (; ; ; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Müra''Novak, Vilko. 2006. ''Slovar stare knjižne prekmurščine''. Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU, pp. 262, 269. or ''Möra'') is a river in Central Europe rising in the Hohe Tauern national park of th ...
, known as ''Ravensko'' (literally, 'the flatlands'), and the western lowlands around
Lendava
Lendava (; formerly ''Dolnja Lendava'', in older sources also ''Dolenja Lendava''; hu, Lendva, formerly ''Alsólendva''; german: Lindau, formerly ''Unter-Limbach'') is a town in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is the seat of the Municip ...
, known as ''Dolinsko'' (literally, 'the lowlands'). Northeast of Lendava, there is a small hilly sub-region, known as the
Lendava Hills (''Lendavske gorice'').
The administrative and commercial seat of the region is the town of
Murska Sobota
Murska Sobota (, Slovenian abbreviation: ''MS'' ; german: Olsnitz;''Radkersburg und Luttenberg'' (map, 1:75,000). 1894. Vienna: K.u.k. Militärgeographisches Institut. hu, Muraszombat) is a town in northeastern Slovenia. It is the centre of the ...
. The only other major town is Lendava. Other significant rural centres are
Dobrovnik,
Turnišče, Beltinci, and
Črenšovci
Črenšovci (; hu, Cserföld) is a settlement in the Prekmurje region in northeastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Črenšovci. Črnec Creek, a tributary of the Ledava, flows past the settlement.
The parish church
A p ...
.
Population
The majority of the inhabitants of the region are ethnic
Slovenes
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their na ...
. There are also sizable
Hungarian and
Romani minorities in the region.
In 1921, the total population of the area numbered 92,295, including 74,199 Slovene speakers, 14,065
Hungarian speakers, and 2,540 German speakers. Since then, the number of Hungarian speakers has been falling slowly but steadily. The German-speaking community, which used to be concentrated in three villages near the Austrian border and in Murska Sobota, was either
expelled from the area or assimilated after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
Since the early 1950s, Hungarian has had co-official status in the traditional settlement area of the Hungarian minority. Three municipalities are completely bilingual—
Lendava
Lendava (; formerly ''Dolnja Lendava'', in older sources also ''Dolenja Lendava''; hu, Lendva, formerly ''Alsólendva''; german: Lindau, formerly ''Unter-Limbach'') is a town in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is the seat of the Municip ...
( hu, Lendva),
Hodoš
Hodoš (; hu, Hodos or , german: Hodosch) is a village in Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Hodoš. It is part of the Prekmurje region.
Name
Hodoš was first mentioned in written sources in 1331 as ''de Hudus-feu'' (and as ''Hodos' ...
( hu, Hodos), and
Dobrovnik ( hu, Dobronak)—and the two municipalities of
Šalovci
Šalovci (; hu, Sal) is a village in the Prekmurje region in northeastern Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to ...
and
Moravske Toplice are only partially bilingual. Two municipalities, Hodoš and Dobrovnik, have a Hungarian majority.
Prekmurje has traditionally been the most heterogeneous Slovene region regarding religious affiliation. Besides a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
majority, there is a significant
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
(mostly
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
) minority, concentrated in the hills of the ''Goričko'' region, which represents 20 to 25% of the population of Prekmurje. Three municipalities have a Lutheran majority (
Puconci
Puconci (; in older sources also ''Pucinci'', hu, Battyánd, Prekmurje Slovene: ''Püconci'') is a town in the Prekmurje region in northeastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Puconci
The Municipality of Puconci (; sl, Obči ...
,
Gornji Petrovci, and
Hodoš
Hodoš (; hu, Hodos or , german: Hodosch) is a village in Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Hodoš. It is part of the Prekmurje region.
Name
Hodoš was first mentioned in written sources in 1331 as ''de Hudus-feu'' (and as ''Hodos' ...
), whereas in the
Municipality of Moravske Toplice Lutherans comprise just under half of the population.
Before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, there used to be a significant
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
community as well, mostly concentrated in the towns of Murska Sobota and Lendava (see also
Lendava Synagogue
Lendava Synagogue ( sl, Sinagoga Lendava, hu, Lendvai Zsinagóga, german: Synagoge von Lindau) is a former synagogue, currently a museum. It is located in the small town of Lendava, Slovenia, close to the Hungarian border. It was built in the 1 ...
). In the 1930s, two-thirds of all Slovenian Jews lived in Prekmurje. Most of them died in the
Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
, and many of the survivors made
aliyah after the war. There is also a significant
Romani presence in the region, with Prekmurje being one of the two major settlement areas of Slovenian Romani (the other being
Lower Carniola
Lower Carniola ( sl, Dolenjska; german: Unterkrain) is a traditional region in Slovenia, the southeastern part of the historical Carniola region.
Geography
Lower Carniola is delineated by the Ljubljana Basin with the city of Ljubljana to the n ...
).
History
Overview
The region has had a turbulent history: it has been inhabited since the
Stone Age, it was later included into the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
and subsequently into the
Odoacer's
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...
, the Kingdom of the
Ostrogoths
The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the large Gothic populations who ...
, the Kingdom of the
Lombards
The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...
, the Kingdom of the
Avars, the Slavic state of
Samo
Samo (–) founded the first recorded political union of Slavic tribes, known as Samo's Empire (''realm'', ''kingdom'', or ''tribal union''), stretching from Silesia to present-day Slovakia, ruling from 623 until his death in 658. According to ...
, the
Frankish Empire
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks du ...
, the
Principality of Lower Pannonia
Early Slavs settled in the eastern and southern parts of the former Roman province of Pannonia. The term ''Lower Pannonia'' ( la, Pannonia inferior, hu, Alsó-pannoniai grófság, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Donja Panonija, Доња Панонија, sl, Spo ...
(9th century), and
Arnulf's
Kingdom of Carantania (9th-10th century). In the late 10th century it was invaded by the Hungarians and was under administration of the medieval
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
until the 16th century, when former territories of this kingdom were divided between the
Habsburg monarchy and the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. Since then, Prekmurje was mostly under administration of the Habsburg Monarchy, with brief periods of Ottoman administration. Following the dissolution of the Habsburg monarchy in 1918, the region was firstly included into the
Hungarian Democratic Republic
The First Hungarian Republic ( hu, Első Magyar Köztársaság), until 21 March 1919 the Hungarian People's Republic (), was a short-lived unrecognized country, which quickly transformed into a small rump state due to the foreign and military ...
and subsequently into the
Hungarian Soviet Republic
The Socialist Federative Republic of Councils in Hungary ( hu, Magyarországi Szocialista Szövetséges Tanácsköztársaság) (due to an early mistranslation, it became widely known as the Hungarian Soviet Republic in English-language sources ( ...
. In 1919, it proclaimed independence as the short-lived
Republic of Prekmurje
The Republic of Prekmurje ( hu, Vendvidéki Köztársaság, Mura Köztársaság; sl, Murska Republika, Republika Prekmurje; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Reszpublika Szlovenszka okroglina'', ''Mörszka Reszpublika'') was an unrecognized state in Prek ...
and was subsequently included into the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
(later known as
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
). From 1941 to 1945, Prekmurje was
temporarily occupied by the Axis Powers and in 1945 it was included into the new socialist
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
. Since 1991, it is part of an independent
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 ...
.
Antiquity to Middle Ages
During the Roman administration, the region was part of the province of
Pannonia. Although, earlier
Slavic settlements had existed in the area, the ancestors of modern Slovenes moved from eastern
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
and settled in Prekmurje after the
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
defeated the
Avars during the reign of
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
. In the 9th century, this area was part of the Slavic state known as the
Principality of Lower Pannonia
Early Slavs settled in the eastern and southern parts of the former Roman province of Pannonia. The term ''Lower Pannonia'' ( la, Pannonia inferior, hu, Alsó-pannoniai grófság, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Donja Panonija, Доња Панонија, sl, Spo ...
. The center of this state was in the city of
Blatnograd near
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton () is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and ...
. The principality was later dissolved and integrated in the Kingdom of Carantania established by the German Emperor
Arnulf of Carinthia. This political entity in which all the ancestors of modern Slovenes were united under one ruler was soon destroyed by the
Hungarian invaders who conquered the
Pannonian plain
The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only the ...
and who incorporated Prekmurje into the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
. The area inhabited by Slovenes shrank to the present extent by the end of the 12th century and has remained stable since. In the 11th century, during Hungarian administration, the region was part of the Kolon county. Between the 11th century and 1526, it was divided between
Vas County and
Zala County
Zala ( hu, Zala megye, ; ; ) is an administrative county ( comitatus or ''megye'') in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia ( Koprivnica–Križevci and Međimurje Counties) and Slovenia ( Lend ...
. In the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century, during the collapse of the central power in the Kingdom of Hungary, the region was part of the domain of semi-independent oligarch
Henrik Kőszegi.
Habsburg Royal Kingdom of Hungary
In 1526, the region of Prekmurje came under
Habsburg administration, although some villages were under
Ottoman administration during short periods between 1566 and 1688. During Habsburg administration in the 16th and 17th centuries, the region was part of the Captaincy between Lake Balaton and the Drava River within the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary. For a short time,
Beltinci, under the name ''Balatin'', became the sanjak center of the Ottoman
Kanije Province. In 1687, Vas and Zala counties were restored: with a small interruption from 1849 to 1867, most of Prekmurje belonged to Vas County except for the
Lendava
Lendava (; formerly ''Dolnja Lendava'', in older sources also ''Dolenja Lendava''; hu, Lendva, formerly ''Alsólendva''; german: Lindau, formerly ''Unter-Limbach'') is a town in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is the seat of the Municip ...
district, which was part of
Zala County
Zala ( hu, Zala megye, ; ; ) is an administrative county ( comitatus or ''megye'') in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia ( Koprivnica–Križevci and Međimurje Counties) and Slovenia ( Lend ...
until 1918.
20th century
After the end of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and dissolution of Habsburg Monarchy, there was briefly an independent Hungarian state and a short-lived
Republic of Prekmurje
The Republic of Prekmurje ( hu, Vendvidéki Köztársaság, Mura Köztársaság; sl, Murska Republika, Republika Prekmurje; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Reszpublika Szlovenszka okroglina'', ''Mörszka Reszpublika'') was an unrecognized state in Prek ...
that emerged in the midst of the chaos of the
Hungarian Revolution of 1919. The region was captured by Yugoslav troops and incorporated into the newly-established
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
(renamed
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
in 1929). In 1918 the Catholic politicians and
József Klekl aimed to create an autonomous entity or independent state, with the name ''
Slovenska krajina.'' Between 1919 and 1922, the region belonged to
Maribor county, between 1922 and 1929 to
Maribor oblast, and between 1929 and 1941 to the
Drava Banovina with
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the are ...
as its capital. During World War II, it was
occupied and annexed by the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
from 1941 to 1944 and by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
between 1944 and 1945.
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
troops took control of the area in May 1945. After the war it became part of the
Socialist Republic of Slovenia, which was one of the newly formed republics of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
.
Administrative divisions
Prekmurje is part of the
Mura Statistical Region
The Mura Statistical Region ( sl, Pomurska statistična regija) is a statistical region in northeast Slovenia. It is predominantly agricultural with field crops representing over three-quarters of the total agricultural area (twice as much as the ...
, also known as ''Pomurje'' or the Mura Region, which includes two historical regions: Prekmurje and the
Prlekija
Prlekija is a region in northeastern Slovenia between the Drava and Mura rivers. It comprises the eastern part of the Slovene Hills ( sl, Slovenske gorice), stretching from the border with Austria to the border with Croatia. It is part of the tra ...
sub-region.
Prekmurje is divided into 19 municipalities:
*
Beltinci
*
Cankova
*
Črenšovci
Črenšovci (; hu, Cserföld) is a settlement in the Prekmurje region in northeastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Črenšovci. Črnec Creek, a tributary of the Ledava, flows past the settlement.
The parish church
A p ...
*
Dobrovnik
*
Gornji Petrovci
*
Grad
*
Hodoš
Hodoš (; hu, Hodos or , german: Hodosch) is a village in Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Hodoš. It is part of the Prekmurje region.
Name
Hodoš was first mentioned in written sources in 1331 as ''de Hudus-feu'' (and as ''Hodos' ...
*
Kobilje
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Kuzma
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Lendava
Lendava (; formerly ''Dolnja Lendava'', in older sources also ''Dolenja Lendava''; hu, Lendva, formerly ''Alsólendva''; german: Lindau, formerly ''Unter-Limbach'') is a town in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is the seat of the Municip ...
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Moravske Toplice
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Murska Sobota
Murska Sobota (, Slovenian abbreviation: ''MS'' ; german: Olsnitz;''Radkersburg und Luttenberg'' (map, 1:75,000). 1894. Vienna: K.u.k. Militärgeographisches Institut. hu, Muraszombat) is a town in northeastern Slovenia. It is the centre of the ...
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Odranci
Odranci (; hu, Adorjánfalva) is a settlement in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Odranci and also the only settlement in the municipality. Odranci is the largest settlement of the Dolinsko region, which li ...
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Puconci
Puconci (; in older sources also ''Pucinci'', hu, Battyánd, Prekmurje Slovene: ''Püconci'') is a town in the Prekmurje region in northeastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Puconci
The Municipality of Puconci (; sl, Obči ...
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Rogašovci
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Šalovci
Šalovci (; hu, Sal) is a village in the Prekmurje region in northeastern Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to ...
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Tišina
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Turnišče
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Velika Polana
Languages
The majority of the population of Prekmurje uses Slovene, either in its standard form or in the
Prekmurje dialect
Prekmurje Slovene, also known as the Prekmurje dialect, East Slovene, or Wendish ( sl, prekmurščina, prekmursko narečje, hu, vend nyelv, muravidéki nyelv, Prekmurje dialect: ''prekmürski jezik, prekmürščina, prekmörščina, prekmör ...
. Some of the local population speaks
Hungarian or
Romani. Before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, German was also present in the region, especially in some areas along the border with Austria. According to the Yugoslav census of 1931, just over 2% of the population of the region spoke German as their native language, and around 12% used Hungarian. After 1945, most of the German speakers either fled or were expelled, and the use of Hungarian has been in slow but constant decline since 1918.
Prekmurje Slovene served as the regional language of the Prekmurje region and of the
Slovenes in Hungary
Hungarian Slovenes ( Slovene: ''Madžarski Slovenci'', hu, Magyarországi szlovének) are an autochthonous ethnic and linguistic Slovene minority living in Hungary. The largest groups are the Rába Slovenes ( sl, porabski Slovenci, dialectical ...
for a long time. It had a codified standard form and even a small literary corpus of around 200 to 300 works. However, after the 1930s, and especially after the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the use of the written Prekmurje dialect steeply declined, but it has never been entirely abandoned.
Szijártó Imre: Murán innen, Murántúl (jelenkor.hu)
It has continued to be used by a broad range of people and, like other Slovene dialects, has retained its own special features that distinguish it from standard Slovene. Most Slovene speakers in the region, like elsewhere in Slovenia, thus live in a situation of diglossia
In linguistics, diglossia () is a situation in which two dialects or languages are used (in fairly strict compartmentalization) by a single language community. In addition to the community's everyday or vernacular language variety (labeled ...
. Although minority languages and the local dialect are still widely used in most spheres of private life, especially in rural areas, standard Slovene is used in education, media, and public life.
Hungarian is used in some border areas, especially around Lendava
Lendava (; formerly ''Dolnja Lendava'', in older sources also ''Dolenja Lendava''; hu, Lendva, formerly ''Alsólendva''; german: Lindau, formerly ''Unter-Limbach'') is a town in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is the seat of the Municip ...
. In the officially bilingual areas, Hungarian is recognized by the Slovenian government and is used as the second official language alongside Slovene. In these areas, all public signs are written in both languages, and primary and secondary education is bilingual.
Some of the Roma population in the region have retained Romani. Slovenia recognizes Romani as a minority language
A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities. With a total number of 196 sovereign states recognized internationally (as of 2019) a ...
, but this official recognition has very few consequences in practice. The legal protection of Romani is much weaker than that for Hungarian.
Cuisine
The region is known for its distinctive cuisine. Among traditional dishes, the best known are a pork, turnip and millet casserole called ''bujta repa Bujta repa (sour turnip hot pot or pork with pickled grated turnips) is a Slovenia, Slovene national dish. It was mostly made in Prekmurje, the northeastern part of Slovenia. The expression ''bujta'' comes from the verb form ''bujti'' (to kill). The ...
'' and a layered pastry called ''prekmurska gibanica
''Prekmurska gibanica'' (Prekmurje layer pastry) is a type of Slovenian ''gibanica'' or layered pastry. It contains poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, raisins and quark fillings. Although native to Prekmurje, it has achieved the status of a national s ...
''.
Notable people
* Mihael Bakoš, Lutheran preacher and author
*Gregor Balažic
Gregor Balažic (born 12 February 1988) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Slovenian PrvaLiga club Mura.
In Slovenia, he played for Mura and Gorica. He had spells abroad in Spain, Ukraine, Serbia, Russi ...
, football player
*Evald Flisar
Evald Flisar (born 13 February 1945) is a Slovene writer, poet, playwright, editor and translator. He was president of the Slovene Writers' Association for three consecutive terms between 1995 and 2002 and is editor-in-chief of the literary and ...
, writer
* László Göncz, historian and politician
* Feri Horvat, politician, Chairman of the Slovenian National Assembly
The National Assembly ( sl, Državni zbor Republike Slovenije, or ), is the general representative body of Slovenia. According to the Constitution of Slovenia and the Constitutional Court of Slovenia, it is the major part of the distinctively ...
(2004)
* Miško Kranjec, writer
*Vlado Kreslin
Vlado Kreslin (born 29 November 1953) is a Slovenian singer-songwriter and folk rock musician.
Life and work
Kreslin was born in the village of Beltinci in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia, then part of Yugoslavia. He began his musical career ...
, singer
*Milan Kučan
Milan Kučan (; born 14 January 1941) is a Slovene politician who served as the first President of Slovenia from 23 December 1991 until 22 December 2002. Before being president of Slovenia, he was the 13th President of the Presidency of SR Slov ...
, politician, President of Slovenia
The president of Slovenia, officially the president of the Republic of Slovenia ( sl, Predsednik Republike Slovenije), is the head of state of the Republic of Slovenia. The position was established on 23 December 1991 when the National Assembly p ...
(1990–2002)
* Števan Küzmič, Lutheran preacher and author
* Mikloš Küzmič, writer and translator
*Feri Lainšček
Feri Lainšček (born 5 October 1959) is a Slovenian writer, poet, and screenwriter.
Early life
He was born Franc Lainšček in a Slovene Lutheran family in the village of Dolenci (part of Šalovci), in northeastern Slovenia, then part of the ...
, writer
* Oto Luthar, historian
* Miki Muster, cartoonist
*Mitja Mörec
Mitja Mörec (born 21 February 1983) is a retired Slovenian Association football, football Defender (association football), centre back and current manager of Floridsdorfer AC.
Career
In March 2011, Mörec signed a contract with Lyngby Boldklub ...
, football player
* Avgust Pavel, ethnologist and translator
* Mária Pozsonec, politician
* Dušan Šarotar, writer
* Radovan Žerjav, politician, chairman of the Slovenian People's Party
The Slovenian People's Party ( sl, Slovenska ljudska stranka, , Slovene abbreviation SLS ) is a conservative, agrarian, Christian-democratic political party in Slovenia. Formed in 1988 under the name of Slovenian Peasant Union as the first democ ...
and Minister of Economy of Slovenia
* Nika Zorjan, singer
See also
*Prekmurje Slovene
Prekmurje Slovene, also known as the Prekmurje dialect, East Slovene, or Wendish ( sl, prekmurščina, prekmursko narečje, hu, vend nyelv, muravidéki nyelv, Prekmurje dialect: ''prekmürski jezik, prekmürščina, prekmörščina, prekmör ...
* Prekmurje Slovenes
*Slovene March (Kingdom of Hungary)
The Slovene March or Slovene krajina ( sl, Slovenska krajina, hu, Vendvidék, Szlovenszka krajina, Szlovén krajina) was the traditional denomination of the Slovene-speaking areas of the Vas and Zala County in the Kingdom of Hungary from the la ...
*Republic of Prekmurje
The Republic of Prekmurje ( hu, Vendvidéki Köztársaság, Mura Köztársaság; sl, Murska Republika, Republika Prekmurje; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Reszpublika Szlovenszka okroglina'', ''Mörszka Reszpublika'') was an unrecognized state in Prek ...
*Wendish question
The Wendish question ( hu, Vendkérdés, sl, Vendsko vprašanje, Prekmurje dialect: ''Vendsko pítanje,'' or ''Vendiško pitanje'') in Hungarian Nationalist and Chauvinist politics concerns the origin and nomenclature of the Hungarian Sloven ...
* Međimurje
References
External links
Photos of the mill on Mur River
Photos from Prekmurje
{{Authority control
Historical regions in Slovenia