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 Municipality of Lendava. It is close to the border crossing with Hungary at Dolga Vas– Rédics, and Hungarian is one of the official languages of the municipality, along with Slovene. The town is the centre of the Hungarian minority in Slovenia. It is also known for the monumental theater and Hungarian Community Centre designed by the architect Imre Makovecz.

Name

The town is named after the Ledava River; the original

nasal Nasal is an adjective referring to the nose, part of human or animal anatomy. It may also be shorthand for the following uses in combination: * With reference to the human nose: ** Nasal administration, a method of pharmaceutical drug delivery ** ...

in the name of the river was lost in Slovene, but the ''n'' in the name of the town was preserved due to Hungarian influence. The former name of the town, ''Dolnja Lendava'' (literally, 'lower Lendava'), contrasted with that of ''

Gornja Lendava Grad (; formerly ''Gornja Lendava'', hu, Felsőlendva) is a village in the Municipality of Grad in the Prekmurje region of northeastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the municipality and is the largest and oldest settlement in the Goričko region. ...

'' (literally 'upper Lendava'). The name of the settlement was changed from ''Dolnja Lendava'' to ''Lendava'' in 1955.

History

''Alsólendva'' was a district ( hu, járás) of the Zala ''comitat'' in the Kingdom of Hungary until 1918. It was part of Hungary again from 1941 to 1945.

Jewish community

The first census of the population in the beginning of the 18th century mentions two Jewish merchants, and the following censuses showed an increasing Jewish population composed of merchants, innkeepers, distillers, mead producers, lawyers, and physicians. They played an important role in the economy of Lendava, owning a local hotel, a few pubs, and stores. Local Jews also started the first bank in Lendava. A Jewish school opened in 1850 and it was active until 1921. The last

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

in Lendava was Mor Lowy. The synagogue in Lendava is one of only two synagogues left in Slovenia.

Geography

Climate

The

meteorological station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...

is a climatic station and is one of 17 of its kind in the country. The station in Lendava is at an altitude of 190 m and is located on a sloping hillside. The surrounding area includes neighbouring houses with outbuildings, vineyards, trees, gardens and meadows. The station has been at this location since January 1962. With an annual precipitation of , Lendava is one of the driest towns in the country; in general this is true for the whole of Prekmurje. Only the coastal regions of Slovenia receive similarly low annual precipitation on average. Since records began, Lendava has had a

White Christmas White Christmas most commonly refers to: * White Christmas (weather), snowfall or snow-covered ground on Christmas Day * "White Christmas" (song), a 1942 song written by Irving Berlin White Christmas may also refer to: Film, television, and the ...

on 12 occasions: 1963, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2001 and 2007. The thickest snow cover for a Christmas Day was in 1963 at .

Landmarks

Church

The parish church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria and belongs to the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Murska Sobota The Roman Catholic Diocese of Murska Sobota ( la, Dioecesis Sobotensis; sl, Škofija Murska Sobota) is a diocese located in the city of Murska Sobota in the Ecclesiastical province of Maribor in Slovenia. History * April 7, 2006: Established ...

. There is also a Lutheran church in the town. It was built in 1931.

Castle

Lendava Castle is a former property of the

Esterházy family The House of Esterházy, also spelled Eszterházy (), is a Hungarian noble family with origins in the Middle Ages. From the 17th century, the Esterházys were the greatest landowner magnates of the Kingdom of Hungary, during the time that it ...

. The mainly 18th-century building stands on a hill above the town centre and contains a museum and a gallery.

Twin towns – Sister cities

Lendava is twinned with: * Zalaegerszeg, Hungary

References

External links

*
Lendava on Geopedia
{{Authority control Populated places in the Municipality of Lendava Hungary–Slovenia border crossings Spa towns in Slovenia Cities and towns in Prekmurje