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Gradac (; )''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v dravnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 10. is a village in the Municipality of Metlika in the
White Carniola White Carniola (; ; or ''Weiße Mark'') is a traditional region in southeastern Slovenia on the border with Croatia. Due to its smallness, it is often considered a subunit of the broader Lower Carniola region, although with distinctive cultural, l ...
area of southeastern
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
, close to the border with Croatia on the Lahinja River. It is now included in the
Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region The Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region () is a statistical region in southeast Slovenia. It is the largest statistical region. The development of this region is largely the result of industry (the auto industry, pharmaceuticals, and other light ...
. The village is best known for well-preserved Gradac Castle.


Community

Gradac has a
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
, a post office, bars and cafes, and a small industrial park. Traditionally many craftspeople (stonemasons, locksmiths, wainwrights, wheelwrights, and potters) and farmers lived in the village. It also has an outdoor sports field for
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, and soccer. It is located next to the new fire station, which was built in the 1980s. A small airport, mainly for gliders and light aircraft, is located in nearby Prilozje. This airfield was originally built in World War II in order to allow allied aircraft to land to evacuate wounded soldiers and civilians and to deliver other humanitarian aid such as medicine.Zvonko Rus. 1979. ''Partizanska letališča in spuščališča v Beli krajini'' (Partisan airfields and drop areas in White Carniola). Ljubljana: Učne delavnice.


History


Medieval history


Gradac Castle

Gradac Castle is castle with a
moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...
and located on a curve of the Lahinja River. It has been declared a national cultural heritage landmark of Slovenia. Gradac Castle was first mentioned in written documents in 1228. The castle island is mostly covered by a large Renaissance park that is neglected and overgrown. It includes a garden, remnants of an alley, and the mausoleum of the last owner (named Gusič), who was a businessman from Zagreb. There are plans to restore the castle and renew the
park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
. The Municipality of Metlika repaired the roof of the castle to prevent further decay at end of the 1990s. However, talks with potential investors from Italy and Ireland have been unsuccessful. Public discussion about the future of the castle intensified again in 2006. This happened when the Slovenian regional development program for southeast Slovenia was discussed and right before the regional elections. Since the summer of 2006, locals have begun a relatively successful campaign to inform the Slovenian public about the neglected castle and the potential for it to serve as a hotel in order to develop tourism in this region. Following local initiatives, the Metlika municipal authorities and the Ministry of Culture in Ljubljana became more actively involved. There are plans to set up a hotel in the castle. In March 2009, MP Renata Brunskole, who was also
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Metlika, asked Minister of Culture Majda Širca about government plans for the castle. Although the minister's response was not encouraging, the ministry of internal affairs included the castle in the project ''Invest in Slovene Tourism''.


World War II

On 18 June 1944 the Slovenian Red Cross was founded in Gradac.History of the Slovenian Red Cross (in Slovene)
/ref> A military school for
Partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...
officers was located in the castle during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
between 1944 and 1945. Gradac was bombed on the afternoon of 30 January 1945. Apparently German intelligence found out that a large number of wounded waited in the village for evacuation through the nearby Partisan airports of Otok or Krasinec. At 4 pm on that day, six or seven German aircraft dropped bombs on the center of Gradac. Five people were killed and eight wounded. The new bridge over the Lahinja, two buildings, and the saw were completely destroyed. Fourteen other houses were heavily damaged.


Other historical buildings

The old fire station is located right at the intersection of the roads to
Črnomelj Črnomelj (; in older sources also ''Černomelj'', ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 4.) is a town in southeastern Slovenia. It is the ...
and Semič. The new fire station is located at the end of the village on the road to Črnomelj. Right there are also a soccer field and a field for handball and basketball. An old scale for weighing livestock can also be seen near the old fire station. A number of buildings have been listed as cultural heritage monuments by the Slovenian Ministry of Culture. These are: * The Baricin House (Gradac no. 86). The house has a U-shaped floor plan. * The Hanzel House (Gradac no. 54). The old staircase was decorated with a large painting of traditional White Carniolan dress. This building is currently being refurbished. * The Macele (or ''Mazelle'') House (Gradac no. 55). Until the 1980s, the local post office was located in this building. The Slovenian Red Cross was established there in 1944. The building itself dates to 1889. * The Grof Farm The community has built a wastewater treatment facility that is now fully operational. All of the houses are now connected to the sewer network.


References


External links

*
Gradac on Geopedia
{{Metlika Populated places in the Municipality of Metlika Castles in Lower Carniola Water castles