Vojnik (; ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 4: ''Štajersko''. 1904. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 44.) is the largest settlement and the centre of the

Municipality of Vojnik The Municipality of Vojnik (; ) is a municipality in eastern Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the town of Vojnik. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. The municipality is now included in the Savinja Statistical Region. ...

in eastern

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 ...

. It lies on the Hudinja River, north of

Celje Celje (, , ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, third-largest city in Slovenia. It is a regional center of the traditional Slovenian region of Styria (Slovenia), Styria and the administrative seat of the City Municipality of Celje. Th ...

. The area is part of the traditional region of

Lower Styria Styria (, ), also known as Slovenian Styria (; ) or Lower Styria (; ) to differentiate it from Austrian Styria, is a traditional region in northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the former Duchy of Styria. The population of St ...

. The municipality is now included in the

Savinja Statistical Region The Savinja Statistical Region () is a Statistical regions of Slovenia, statistical region in Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Celje. It is named after the Savinja River. The region is very diverse in natural geography; it mainly compr ...

. Locals make their living from farming, but there are also many small businesses. Vojnik was first mentioned as a borough in 1306. There were many fires in the town, and the town even burned to the ground in 1839.

Name

Vojnik was first attested in written sources in 1165 as ''de Hoheneke'' (and as ''Hohnec'' in 1173, ''Hohenekke'' circa 1175, and ''Hohenek'' in 1199). The medieval German forms of the name (literally, 'high hill') are the result of

folk etymology Folk etymology – also known as (generative) popular etymology, analogical reformation, (morphological) reanalysis and etymological reinterpretation – is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a mo ...

. The name is derived from ''*Xvojьnikъ'', from Slavic ''*xvoja'' 'fir, spruce'. Accentual evidence makes the name's derivation from ''*vojьnikъ'' 'soldier' unlikely. In the past, the standard German name of the town was ''Hochenegg''.

History

In 2022, torrential rains caused a basement in Vojnik to flood, which firefighters responded to.

Churches

The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

in the settlement is dedicated to

Saint Bartholomew Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). New Testament references The name ''Bartholomew ...

() and belongs to the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Celje The Diocese of Celje (; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Celje in the ecclesiastical province of Maribor in Slovenia. History * April 7, 2006: Established as Diocese of Celje from the Diocese of Maribor ...

. It is a

Neo-Romanesque Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

building dating to 1899. A second church in the settlement is dedicated to

Saint Florian Florian (; AD 250 – 304) was a Christian holy man and the patron saint of chimney sweeps; soapmakers, and firefighters. His feast day is 4 May. Florian is also the patron saint of Poland, the city of Linz, Austria, and Upper Austria, jointl ...

. It dates to the mid-15th century and has a Gothic

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

with a 17th-century

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

Mass graves

Vojnik is the site of three known

mass graves A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may Unidentified decedent, not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of exec ...

from the period immediately after the

Second World War 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 ...

. The Višnja Vas 1 Mass Grave (), also known as the Hmezad Mass Grave (), is located north of the settlement, north of the building at Vojnik no. 2, at a new construction site that was the location of a former wooden shed for the Hmezad company. The grave contains the remains of about 100 Croatian soldiers and civilians that were murdered in May 1945 while fleeing towards Dobrna. The Višnja Vas 2 Mass Grave () is located north of the settlement, on the right side of the road from

Slovenske Konjice Slovenske Konjice (; , in older sources also ''Gannobitz'') is a town in northeastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Slovenske Konjice. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Styria, Styria. History and town sights ...

, south of the building at Vojnik no. 2 and north of the house at Vojnik no. 5. It contains the remains of Croatian civilians that were murdered in May 1945 while fleeing towards Dobrna. The Vojnik Mass Grave () lies west of the settlement, in the parking lot in front of the cemetery and below the funeral chapel. It contains the remains of 100 to 200 Croatian civilians and soldiers that were murdered in May 1945.

Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived in Vojnik include: * (1853–1923), pedagogue, journalist, and political activist * Doroteja Hauser (1877–1946), painter * Karel Henn (1809–1877), founder of a Slovenian spa and promoter of the still mineral water pump * Anton Novačan (1887–1951), author, politician, and diplomat *

Anton Martin Slomšek Beatification, Blessed Anton Martin Slomšek (26 November 1800 – 24 September 1862) was a Slovene Catholic Church, Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Lavant from 1846 until his death. He served also as an author and poet as wel ...

(1800–1862), Roman Catholic bishop and orator

References

External links

*
Vojnik on Geopedia
{{Vojnik Populated places in the Municipality of Vojnik