Međimurje County

Međimurje County Međimurska županija
County
Clockwise from top: Štrigova, Čakovec Castle, the northernmost point of Croatia, Drava river and the vineyards near Železna Gora
Flag Coat of arms
Međimurje County within Croatia
Coordinates: 46°27′58″N 16°24′50″E / 46.466°N 16.414°E / 46.466; 16.414
Country	Croatia
County seat	Čakovec
Government
• Župan	Matija Posavec (Matija Posavec – Nezavisna Lista)
• Assembly	42 members • ŽZ, MS, SNAGA (3)
Area [1]
• Total	729 km2 (281 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]
• Total	105,250
• Density	140/km2 (370/sq mi)
Area code	040
ISO 3166 code	HR-20
HDI (2021)	0.836[3] very high · 8th
Website	Međimurska županija

Međimurje County (pronounced [medʑǐmuːrje]; Croatian: Međimurska županija [medʑǐmurskaː ʒupǎnija]; Hungarian: Muraköz megye) is a triangle-shaped county in the northernmost part of Croatia, roughly corresponding to the historical and geographical region of Međimurje. Despite being the smallest Croatian county by size, it is the most densely populated one (not including the City of Zagreb). The county seat is Čakovec, which is also the largest city of the county.

The county borders

Besides its Croatian name (Međimurska županija), the county is also known as Muraköz megye in Hungarian, Medžimurska županija in Slovene, and Murinsel in German.

Throughout the past, the historical region of Međimurje was referred to by several names. In

The Kajkavian

The region's unofficial symbols include the turtle dove (Croatian: grlica gugutka, but locally referred to just as grlica), which is one of the most common birds in the region, and the violet (ljubičica). The region is often called Međimurje malo, which is Croatian for "Little Međimurje".

Geography

Međimurje County location in the

There are two reservoir lakes on the Drava – Lake Varaždin and Lake Dubrava – both built to serve the two hydroelectric power plants based in the county. Lake Dubrava, located near the city of Prelog, is the biggest artificial lake in Croatia and the second largest lake overall in the country. The power plant using Lake Varaždin is named after the county seat, Čakovec, while the one using Lake Dubrava is named Dubrava, taking its name from the nearby village of Donja Dubrava.

The county's elevation ranges between 120 and 344 metres above

Of the county's total area of 729.5 km², around 360 km² are used in agriculture. Due to the high population density, agricultural land is divided into 21,000 units averaging 17,500 m² (188,368.43 sq ft) each. 27.5 km² are covered with orchards. 11 km² is the hilly area, located in the north-western part of the county, with villages like Štrigova and numerous vineyards. Grasslands and forests cover an area of around 105 km². The biggest forest is Murščak, located between Domašinec and Donji Hrašćan.

Climate

The climate is continental. Summers are quite hot. Daily temperatures during the summer months usually range between 20 °C and 30 °C, but can reach as high as 40 °C in July and August, when they can also stay above 30 °C for several days. Thunderstorms and rapid weather changes are common throughout the summer months, as well as in late spring, with a particularly stormy period being between mid-June and mid-July, when they often occur on a daily basis.

Springs and autumns are usually calm, although rapid weather changes can also be common during the two seasons. Winters can be very severe, with early-morning temperatures sometimes reaching as low as -20 °C. During the winter months, daily temperatures usually range between -10 °C and 10 °C. January is usually the coldest month, during which daily temperatures can stay below 0 °C for several days. Snowfall usually occurs between late October and early March. Fog can be a common early-morning occurrence between late summer and early spring, with all-day fog sometimes occurring during the coldest months.

Warm weather, with daily temperatures around 15 °C, can occur as early as mid-February and as late as mid-November. In early October and late March, daily temperatures can also reach as high as 20 °C. However, February and November are generally cold months, with occasional heavy snow and daily temperatures around 0 °C, while March and October are generally cool, with occasional light snow and daily temperatures ranging between 0 °C and 15 °C. In March and October, it is also common for the temperature to drop below 0 °C over night, even when the daily temperature is in the range between 10 °C and 15 °C.

Administrative division

There are three towns in Međimurje County – Čakovec, Prelog and Mursko Središće.^[2] The county seat, Čakovec, has an urban population of around 15,147, with a population of 27,820 in the administrative area.

There are also several municipalities in the county, with their seats including

If not including the City of Zagreb, Međimurje is the smallest Croatian county, with an area of 729.5 km². Nevertheless, with an average population of 156 people/km², it is the most densely populated Croatian county, again if the City of Zagreb is not included.

Demographics

In the 2011 census, the total population of the county was 113,804. During the same census, a total of 106,744 residents of the county identified themselves as Croats. The following ethnic minorities were represented by more than 100 people in the 2011 census: Romani (5,107), Slovenes (516), Serbs (249), Albanians (200), and Russians (137).^[5] The county has the highest concentration of Romani people in Croatia.

The demographics of the region changed swiftly in the period between 1950 and 1975, with a significant reduction in the size of the family. From the national perspective, the population is moving toward the Istria region, while the seasonal workforce moves toward Zagreb and the southern parts of Croatia.^{[citation needed]} The natural population increase is minimal.

Language and education

The official language of Međimurje County, as in the whole of Croatia, is the

.

History

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Early history

The first organized human habitations here can be traced back to the Stone Age. There is a Neolithic site called Ferenčica near Prelog. There are archaeological sites that date from the Bronze Age, and 3rd century sites called Ciglišće and Varaščine.

During the Iron Age, the Indo-European tribes identified in the area were Celts, Serets and Pannons, and the region became part of the Roman empire. In the 1st century, the Romans knew the area as Insula intra Dravam et Muram ("island between the Drava and Mura rivers") according to the geographer Strabo. The most important settlement they established was Halikan (Halicanum). The region was part of the Roman province of Pannonia and later part of the Pannonia Superior.

Čakovec was originally called

Čakovec (Csáktornya) got its name from Count Dimitry Csáky, who at the beginning of the 13th century erected the timber fortification that eventually was "Csáky's tower", mentioned for the first time in 1328. King Charles I named Čakovec as the capitol in 1333. In 1350, King Louis I. gave the land to viceroy (Ban) Stjepan I Lacković, a member of the ruling Lacković family of Transylvania. It remained Lacković property until 1397, when King Sigismund executed Stjepan II Lacković, and took back the area to the Crown.

In 1405, the

Since 1526, the region became part of the

Rapid development began in 1547 under the ruling

The Church of St. Jerome was rebuilt in 1749 in Štrigova (Stridóvár) by the famous artist Ivan Ranger following the demolition of the original 15th century-built chapel by an earthquake in 1738.

In 1791 Count György Festetics bought Međimurje, including Čakovec Castle and Feštetić Castle (Festetics kastély) in the neighboring village of Pribislavec (Zalaújvár), which remained in the property of Feštetić family until 1923.

On 19 April 1848

The Magyarization between the 1870s-1910s introduced the concept of Međimurian language (muraközi nyelv). According to this view, the spoken language in Međimurje was not Croatian or Kajkavian, but Međimurian Slavic, which is a separate Slavic language-family.^[8] József Margitai was the main propagandist of the Međimurian language and he published few Međimurian books. The propagandists exploited idea that the Croatians are dissatisfied with the new Serbo-Croatian language.^{[citation needed]}

Margitai propagated in Međimurian the usefulness of the assimilation in the Međimurje and the superiority of the Hungarian nation. The fake Međimurian literary language in fact was only little different from the Kajkavian literary language.^[9][10]

Modern history (after World War I)

In 1918, after the collapse of the monarchic union of

In the Southern region, in the Slovene March (today the Prekmurje and Raba March near Szentgotthárd) there emerged independence-autonomy movements. József Klekl expressed the program of the autonomous (or independent) Slovene March. Oszkár Jászi, who is supported the Slovene and Croatian minority, completed the program in a proposal: the Slovene March and the Međimurje should be merged.^[12] The program did not materialize.

Until 1922 the region was part of Varaždin County. From 1922 to 1929 the region was part of the Maribor Oblast, from 1929 to 1939 part of the Sava Banovina and from 1939 to 1941 part of the Banovina of Croatia.

Upon signing the

One notable traditional festival is the Fašnik, a carnival-like event held in February. The event's name is derived from the German word Fasching, describing similar events mostly held in Austria and Bavaria. The festival has been observed for centuries, with masked people participating in public parades and celebrations to drive off the demons of darkness and winter. The main festivities of the Fašnik period are usually held in the centre of Čakovec, with a parade of masked people from the entire region walking through the city's streets to reach its central square, where a hanged hay doll representing the Fašnik is traditionally burned down to signify victory over the demons of darkness and winter, as well as to mark the end of festivities.

Another notable and highly attended festival held in Čakovec is the Porcijunkulovo, an annual fair which takes place on the streets around the city's centre between 30 July and 5 August. At the fair, many of the region's traditional products, such as baskets, can be purchased and people can also see how some of the products are made. Many of the region's traditional foods are served during the festivities and there is a daily entertainment program at a temporary stage set up at the city's central square.

Food

For many centuries, Međimurje was part of Hungary, whose influence is evident in its history and culture. Once, the only notable place where one could have experienced the local cuisine and culture was Međimurska hiža, a restaurant near the village of Mačkovec, about 5 kilometers north of Čakovec. The restaurant was heavily damaged by fire in the late 1990s and never reopened. However, a number of new restaurants serving the region's traditional food have opened over the years.

The traditional food during the Fašnik period are a type of

Some of the other traditional foods of the region include a type of pasta called mlinci, white and black sausages, known as čurke, which is served with sour cabbage, as well as other dried or otherwise preserved meat, such as meso z tiblice, which is stored in a small, usually wooden barrel called tiblica. There are also some vegetable dishes, while the production of wine is ubiquitous in the hilly landscape of the region's northwest. The diet of the region is part of the Croatian cuisine, which is known for its diversity.

Recreation

There are

also attracts numerous hunters in low game and birds.

Other cultural notes

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The Škola Animiranog Filma is a school of animation based in Čakovec.

In Čakovec Castle, there is a museum and an art gallery. In Šenkovec, in the chapel of Sveta Jelena. and in the church of Sveti Jeronim in Štrigova, there are Baroque frescoes of Ivan Ranger dating between 1776 and 1786. Prelog is home to the beautiful church of Sveti Jakob, built in 1761.

More than 15,000 local songs have been collected here by

The region of Međimurje is a strong transport hub. The main roads and railroads going through the county connect several Central and Eastern European countries with the Croatian cities of Varaždin, Zagreb (the country's capital), Karlovac, and Rijeka (the country's principal seaport), as well as the rest of the Croatian part of the Adriatic coast, which is a popular summer destination for tourists.

Međimurje had three railroads. M501 railway is the line of international significance that connects Međimurje with Hungary and Slovenia. M501 railway was part of first railroad in the county that was built in 1860, connecting Budapest with the Adriatic ports of Rijeka and Trieste, and this was first railroad ever built in the present-day Croatia. The village of Kotoriba, located near the Hungarian border in the south-eastern part of the county, was the site of the first railway station building in Croatia. R201 railway connects Čakovec with Varaždin and Zagreb. L101 railway connects Čakovec with Mursko Središće and with Slovenian town of Lendava.

Around 21 kilometers of the A4 motorway, built in the 1990s, is located within the county's borders. The highway connects Hungary with Zagreb, and is also an important connection from Čakovec and Prelog to Zagreb, as it can be accessed near the village of Sveti Križ, located approximately halfway between the two cities. The Goričan Border Crossing and the Zrinski Bridge are also located on the highway. Near Zagreb, the A4 highway is connected with the A1 motorway, from which several cities along the Adriatic coast can be reached, as well as the A3 motorway, which goes through the southern parts of Slavonia all the way to the Serbian border.

A small sports

An estimated 22,000 people are employed in the county, with around 60% of them in bigger companies. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, more than 17,000 people from the region have been employed abroad, in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and beyond. The region is considered one of the nation's richest and most prosperous.

Agriculture and food production

Throughout its history, the region was heavily agricultural and even today many work in that sector. The total percentage of people involved in agriculture is 12.7%, which is above the national average.

Since the 4th century BC, there have been ship mills in use, particularly along the Mura River, some of which remained in use until the 20th century. The last surviving ship mill in the county is also located on the Mura River, between Sveti Martin na Muri and Mursko Središće. It is now a historic monument and a well-known regional tourist attraction. The famous Međimurje horse (Međimurski konj) breed of horses was for many years harnessed to the streetcars of Vienna.

Some of the largest food companies in the region include Agromeđimurje, Čakovečki mlinovi and Vajda. METSS, formerly called Trgocentar, operates a large number of convenience stores in the region. In Čakovec, many people are also employed in a number of shopping malls run by local, national and international companies.

Manufacturing

Industry has mostly developed in and around Čakovec, as well as in the south-eastern parts of the county. Međimurska trikotaža Čakovec or MTČ was one of the most successful textile and clothing companies in northern Croatia for years. Some of the other well known clothing companies in the region include Čateks and the Mursko Središće-based Modeks. There are also some footwear companies based in the region, the most prominent of them being Jelen.

The Čakovec-based Zrinski is a printing and publishing company. Nedelišće was home to one of the first Croatian printing presses, operating there as early as 1570. The production of metal and PVC is significant in the region. There are several construction companies based in the region. Some of the largest local companies in these businesses include Ferro-Preis, TMT, Tehnix, Meplast, Muraplast, Tegra and Beton. Basket weaving is one of the oldest businesses in the region, with Međimurjeplet being the largest local company. Chairs, small items of furniture and other decorative items are also woven in addition to baskets. The most common weaving materials include twigs, rattan and bamboo.

Mining

There are deposits of coal around Mursko Središće, Peklenica and Lopatinec. Lopatinec got its name from lopata, the Croatian word for "shovel". Coal mining was part of the local economy between 1946 and 1972, but has eventually become unprofitable. The total output at that time was close to 4,600,000 tonnes. Estimated reserves are 200,000,000 tonnes, although new technologies and approaches would be needed to extract it profitably. The village of Križovec might be the only place in the world where people extract coal by pulling it by hand from the bottom of the river.

The region was the first in Croatia where deposits of gas and crude oil were found, in 1856, around the villages of Selnica and Peklenica. The latter even got its name from pekel, the word for "hell" in the local Kajkavian dialect, since the people quickly noticed the peculiar properties of the dark, greasy liquid in small ponds appearing spontaneously on the ground. The reserves were initially calculated to be around 170,000 tonnes. There was exploitation from 1886 to 1889 and into the 20th century.

The first crude oil

The extraction of gravel is also significant for the region. There is currently around 10 gravel pits, located in the southern and eastern parts of the region. During the 1990s, some of the gravel pits also became popular bathing and entertainment resorts during the summers, with restaurants and sports grounds built around them. Nowadays, the Totomore resort near the village of Totovec is the most notable resort of this kind, while a couple of other similar resorts closed during the early 2000s.

Geothermal resources also exist in the region, although they cannot be considered a profitable energy source. Instead, they are used for leisure and recreation.

Acknowledgements

• Međimurje has been named Green Destinations region at the ITB Berlin fair.^[13]

Gallery

• 
  Nedelišće
• 
  Brezje
• 
  Sveti Juraj na Bregu
• 
  Strahoninec
• 
  Prekopa
• 
  Savska Ves
• 
  Mursko Središće

Local notable people

• Lidija Bajuk - musician, entertainer
• Lujo Bezeredi - sculptor
• Dragutin Feletar - academician, historian writer
• Joža Horvat - adventurer, writer
• Robert Jarni - football player and manager
• Ladislav Kralj-Međimurec - painter
• Dražen Ladić - football player (goalkeeper) and manager
• Nikola Pavic - poet
• Franjo Punčec - tennis player
• Ivan Ranger - painter
• Rudolf Steiner - philosopher, thinker
• Ignacije Szentmartony - explorer
• Josip Štolcer-Slavenski - composer
• Nikola Zrinski
  - soldier, poet, philosopher
• Petar Zrinski - soldier
• Vinko Žganec - folklorist, ethnomusicologist

References

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Međimurje County.

• Official website (in Croatian)