Municipality of Kočevje

The Municipality of Kočevje (; sl, Občina Kočevje) is a municipality in southern Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the city of Kočevje. Today it is part of the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region. In terms of area, it is the largest municipality in Slovenia.

History

In 1247 Berthold, Patriarch of Aquileia granted the area around Ribnica within the imperial March of Carniola to the Carinthian counts of Ortenburg. When the counts received further estates on the wooded plateau down to Kostel on the Kolpa River in 1336 from the hands of Patriarch Bertram, they called for German-speaking settlers from Carinthia and Tyrol. These Germanic people became known as the Gottscheers, and their dialect, Gottscheerish.

Thousands of Gottscheers, and others, were accused of sympathy for or collaboration with the Axis Powers during World War II (such as the Slovene Home Guard), after the war. They, and typically their entire families, were summarily executed, thrown into various pits and caves, which were then sealed with explosives.

Settlements

In addition to the municipal seat of Kočevje, the municipality also includes the following settlements:

* Borovec pri Kočevski Reki
* Breg pri Kočevju
* Brezovica pri Predgradu
* Bukova Gora
* Čeplje
* Črni Potok pri Kočevju
* Cvišlerji
* Dol
* Dolga Vas
* Dolnja Briga
* Dolnje Ložine
* Gorenje
* Gornja Briga
* Gornje Ložine
* Gotenica
* Griček pri Željnah
* Hreljin
* Hrib pri Koprivniku
* Jelenja Vas
* Kačji Potok
* Kleč
* Klinja Vas
* Knežja Lipa
* Koblarji
* Kočarji
* Koče
* Kočevska Reka
* Komolec
* Konca Vas
* Koprivnik
* Kralji
* Kuhlarji
* Laze pri Oneku
* Laze pri Predgradu
* Livold
* Mačkovec
* Mahovnik
* Mala Gora
* Mlaka pri Kočevju
* Mlaka pri Kočevski Reki
* Mokri Potok
* Morava
* Mozelj
* Mrtvice
* Muha Vas
* Nemška Loka
* Nove Ložine
* Novi Lazi
* Ograja
* Onek
* Paka pri Predgradu
* Podjetniško Naselje Kočevje
* Podlesje
* Podstene
* Polom
* Predgrad
* Preža
* Primoži
* Pugled pri Starem Logu
* Rajhenav
* Rajndol
* Rogati Hrib
* Sadni Hrib
* Šalka Vas
* Seč
* Škrilj
* Slovenska Vas
* Smuka
* Spodnja Bilpa
* Spodnji Log
* Štalcerji
* Stara Cerkev
* Stari Breg
* Stari Log
* Staro Brezje
* Suhi Potok
* Svetli Potok
* Topla Reber
* Trnovec
* Vimolj pri Predgradu
* Vrbovec
* Vrt
* Zajčje Polje
* Zdihovo
* Željne

Flag

The municipal flag of Kočevje is a tricolor consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the colors of Kočevje: blue and white, emblazoned with the coat of arms. The association with the colors blue and white dates to the 1470s, when Emperor Frederick III approved the design of the coat of arms, along with civic rights, on 19 April 1471. The flag during that time varies from the one seen today. The old flag was a bicolor of blue and white, defaced with the coat of arms, which was also different at the time.

Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived in the Municipality of Kočevje include:
* Matej Bor (1913–1993), poet and author
* (1923–1999), academy-trained painter, art teacher, art theorist
* Ivan Jurkovič (born 1952), apostolic nuncio to Russia
* Zofka Kveder (1878–1926), writer
* (1860–1923), longtime mayor
* (1858–1924), composer
* Roman Erich Petsche (1907–1993), teacher, painter, and Righteous Among the Nations
* (1908–1942), secondary-school professor, social revolutionary, communist resistance fighter
* (1898–?), geologist, taught at the secondary school before the Second World War

References

Bibliography

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External links

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Municipality of Kočevje on Geopedia

Website of the Municipality of Kočevje

{{DEFAULTSORT:Municipality of Kocevje
Kocevje
1994 establishments in Slovenia