Peklenica ( hu, Bányavár) is a village in

Međimurje County Međimurje County (; hr, Međimurska županija ; hu, Muraköz megye) is a triangle-shaped Counties of Croatia, county in the northernmost part of Croatia, roughly corresponding to the historical and geographical region of Međimurje (region), ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. It is located 3.1 km from

Mursko Središće Mursko Središće ( hu, Muraszerdahely, Kajkavian: ''Mursko Središče'') is the northernmost town in Croatia, located at ( alt. 175 m) and one of the oldest localities in Međimurje County. Mursko Središće has a total population of 6,307, and ...

, 11 km from Čakovec, and is adjacent to Križovec and

Vratišinec Vratišinec ( hu, Murasiklós) is a municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia. The municipality is named after its seat, the village of Vratišinec, located around 11 kilometres north of Čakovec, the county seat of Međimurje County. The municip ...

. As of the 2011 census, there were 1217 inhabitants. Peklenica is known for its natural source of

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...

known to local population since at least the Middle Ages. The toponym, first recorded in 1391, is derived from words ''paklina'' or ''pekel'', which is how the locals called the greasy substance they used for lubrication of horse-drawn carriages as well as for medicinal purposes. According to Ottoman explorer

Evliya Çelebi Derviş Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi ( ota, اوليا چلبى), was an Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years, recording ...

's writings, the town of

Szigetvár Szigetvár (; hr, Siget; tr, Zigetvar; English: Islandcastle; german: Inselburg) is a town in Baranya County in southern Hungary. History The town's fortress was the setting of the Siege of Szigetvár in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first ...

was burnt during the 1566 siege using oil from Peklenica. The oil was first commercially exploited by count Georg Festetics in 1856, arguably predating the well-known

Drake Well The Drake Well is a oil well in Cherrytree Township, Venango County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the success of which sparked the first oil boom in the United States. The well is the centerpiece of the Drake Well Museum located south of ...

in Pennsylvania by three years. From the 1880s to the early 20th century, Viennese entrepreneur Wilhelm Singer drilled dozens of

oil well An oil well is a drillhole boring in Earth that is designed to bring petroleum oil hydrocarbons to the surface. Usually some natural gas is released as associated petroleum gas along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce only gas may ...

s in the village. Due to diminishing returns, oil exploitation in Peklenica ended in 1967.

References

Bibliography

* Populated places in Međimurje County {{Međimurje-geo-stub