Celje
Encyclopedia
Celje is a typical Central Europe
an town and the third largest town
in Slovenia
. It is a regional center of Lower Styria
and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle
(407 m) at the confluence
of the Savinja
, Ložnica, and Voglajna
rivers in the lower Savinja Valley. It lies 241 m above mean sea level (MSL).
The Celje region is frequently shaken by minor earthquake
s.
In the local colloquial Slovene dialect, Celje is called Cjele or Cele, giving it a special modulation, spoken mainly by its citizens.
era. The settlement was known in the Celtic times and to Ancient Greek historians as Kelea; findings suggest that Celt
s coined Noric
money in the region.
Once the area was incorporated in the Roman Empire
in 15 BC
, it was known as Civitas Celeia. It received municipal rights
in AD 45 under the name municipium Claudia Celeia during the reign of the Roman Emperor
Claudius
(41-54). Records suggest that the town was rich and densely populated, secured with the walls and towers, containing multi-storied marble palaces, wide squares, and streets. It was called Troia secunda, the second; or small Troy
. A Roman road
through Celeia led from Aquileia
(Sln. Oglej) to Pannonia
. Celeia soon became a flourishing Roman colonies, and many great buildings were constructed, such as the temple of Mars, which was known across the Empire. Celeia was incorporated into Aquileia ca. 320 under the Roman Emperor Constantine I
(272-337).
The city was razed by Slavic tribes during the Migration period
of the 5th and 6th centuries, but was rebuilt in the Early Middle Ages
. The first mention of Celje in the Middle Ages was under the name of Cylie in Wolfhold von Admont's Chronicle, which was written between 1122 and 1137.
The town was the seat of the Counts of Celje
from 1341 to 1456 It acquired market-town status in the first half of the 14th century and town privileges
from Count Frederick II on 11 April 1451.
After the Counts of Celje died out in 1456, the region was inherited by the Habsburg
s of Austria
and administered by the Duchy of Styria
. The city walls and defensive moat
were built in 1473. The town defended itself against Turks
and in 1515 during great Slovene peasant revolt against peasants, who had taken Old Castle
.
Many local nobles converted to Protestantism
during the Protestant Reformation
, but the region was converted back to Roman Catholicism
during the Counter-Reformation
. Celje became part of the Habsburgs' Austrian Empire
during the Napoleonic Wars
. In 1867, after the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War
, the town became part of Austria-Hungary
.
The first service
on the Vienna
-Trieste
railway line
came through Celje on 27 April 1846. In 1895, Celje secondary school, established in 1808, began to teach in Slovene.
At the end of the 19th century and in the early 20th century, Celje was a center of German nationalism
which had repercussions for Slovenes. The 1910 census showed that 66,8% of the population was German. A symbol of this was the German Cultural Center, built in 1906 and opened on 15 May 1907, today it is Celje Hall
. The centuries-old German name of the town, Cilli, sounded no longer German enough to some German residents, the form Celle being preferred by many. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica listed the town under the German name Cilli.
Population growth was steady during this period. In 1900, Celje had 6,743 inhabitants and by 1924 this had grown to 7,750. The National Hall
(Narodni dom), which hosts the Mayors Office and Town Council today, was built in 1896. The first telephone
line was installed in 1902 and the city received electric power
in 1913.
Slovene and German ethnic nationalism
increased during the 19th and early 20th centuries. With the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918 as a result of World War I, Celje became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as Yugoslavia
). During this period, the town experienced a rapid industrialization and a substantial growth in population.
Celje was occupied by Nazi Germany
in April 1941. The Gestapo
arrived in Celje on 16 April 1941 and were followed three days later by SS
leader Heinrich Himmler
, who inspected Stari pisker. During the war the city suffered from allied
bombing, aimed at important communication lines and military installations. The National Hall was severely damaged.
The toll of the war on the city was heavy. The city (including nearby towns) had a pre-war population of 20,000 and lost 575 people during the war, mostly between the ages of 20 and 30. More than 1,500 people were deported to Serbia
or into the German interior of the Third Reich
. Around 300 people were interned and around 1,000 people imprisoned in Celje's prisons. An unknown number of citizens were 'forcibly' conscripted into the German army
. Around 600 "stolen children" were taken to Nazi Germany for germanization. A monument in Celje called Vojna in mir (War and Peace) by the sculptor Jakob Savinšek
, commemorates the World War II era.
After the end of the war, the remaining German-speaking portion of the populace was expelled
. The new communist government took advantage of existing anti-tank trenches
, dug around Celje by the retreating German army, by using them as mass grave
s. They were filled with Croatia
n, Serbian, and Slovenian militia members who had collaborated with the Germans, as well as civilians who had opposed either the national liberation movement
or the communist revolution during the war, civilians of German descent or simply individuals accused or suspected of anti-communism
. The purpose was to physically eliminate any potential political opposition, on the pretext of collaboration with the enemy. The Yugoslav National Army
executed more than 80,000 - mostly Croat, German and Slovenian - prisoners in the Celje area, without any judicial process. The bodies were buried in hidden mass graves in Celje; the exact number is still not known. At the concentration camp at Teharje
, some 5,000 Slovenians, hundreds of them minors, were murdered within two months after the end of the war, again without trial. Furthermore, refugee trains carrying German civilians from the "Rann triangle" area were halted near Celje on August 5, 1945 and their passengers sent to a concentration camp at Teharje. After the camp was closed in 1950, the local authorities established a huge industrial dump over the graveyard there, concealing the evidence of killings under a mound of toxic waste. In the middle 70s, 30 years after crimes, the local authorities build preschools, schools, blocks, halls and other objects on mass graves. In 1991, when it became possible again to discuss the facts pertaining to the massacre, the Slovenian government decided to build a memorial to the victims of Teharje.
Celje became part of independent Slovenia following the Ten-Day War
in 1991. On April 7, 2006, Celje became the seat of a new Diocese of Celje, created by Pope Benedict XVI
within the Archdiocese of Maribor. The town's tourist sights include a Grayfriars'
monastery founded in 1241 and a palace
from the 16th century.
The coat of arms
of Celje are based on the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje
.
The coat-of-arms of Celje was selected for the national arms immediately after World War I
in 1918, when Slovenia together with Croatia and Serbia formed the original Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia
). A similar coat of arms was integrated into the Slovenian national arms
in 1991.
The town of Celje is divided into 10 districts (mestne četrti) and the municipality 9 local communities (krajevne skupnosti):
In 1991 in the town lived:
Celje has 47,660 citizens as of 2002:
The Celje annual municipal festival is held on April 11.
, formally part of the University of Maribor
, was established in Celje in 2005. In 2006, Tehnopolis Celje was established, a technological center with an international university. The project will be completed in 2013.
In addition to that there are also Celje Labour Court for resolving labour law disputes and an external department of Administrative Court for resolving disputes arising from administrative procedures.
Postal number: SI-3000 (from 1991). (Old one: 63000 (between 1945–1991)).
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
an town and the third largest town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. It is a regional center of Lower Styria
Lower Styria
Lower Styria or Slovenian Styria is a traditional region in northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the former Duchy of Styria. The population of Lower Styria in its historical boundaries amounts to around 705,000 inhabitants, or 34.5% of the population of Slovenia...
and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle
Celje Castle
Celje Castle is a castle ruin in Celje, Slovenia, formerly the seat of the Counts of Celje. It stands on three hills to the southeast of Celje, where the river Savinja meanders into the Laško valley. Today, the castle is in the process of being restorated...
(407 m) at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Savinja
Savinja
The Savinja is a river in northeast Slovenia which flows mostly in the Upper and Lower Savinja valley and through the cities of Celje and Laško. The Savinja is the main river of the Savinja Alps . It flows into Sava River at the town of Zidani Most. It has often flooded, such as in the 1960s,...
, Ložnica, and Voglajna
Voglajna
The Voglajna is a river in Lower Styria, Slovenia. The river is 35 km in length. Its source is Lake Slivnica near Slivnica pri Celju. It passes Šentjur pri Celju, the ruins of Rifnik Castle, and Štore, and then merges with the Savinja River in Celje....
rivers in the lower Savinja Valley. It lies 241 m above mean sea level (MSL).
The Celje region is frequently shaken by minor earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s.
In the local colloquial Slovene dialect, Celje is called Cjele or Cele, giving it a special modulation, spoken mainly by its citizens.
History
The first settlement in the area of Celje appeared during the HallstattHallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
era. The settlement was known in the Celtic times and to Ancient Greek historians as Kelea; findings suggest that Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
s coined Noric
Noricum
Noricum, in ancient geography, was a Celtic kingdom stretching over the area of today's Austria and a part of Slovenia. It became a province of the Roman Empire...
money in the region.
Once the area was incorporated in the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in 15 BC
15 BC
Year 15 BC was either a common year starting on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Monday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
, it was known as Civitas Celeia. It received municipal rights
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
in AD 45 under the name municipium Claudia Celeia during the reign of the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
(41-54). Records suggest that the town was rich and densely populated, secured with the walls and towers, containing multi-storied marble palaces, wide squares, and streets. It was called Troia secunda, the second; or small Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
. A Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
through Celeia led from Aquileia
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times...
(Sln. Oglej) to Pannonia
Pannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
. Celeia soon became a flourishing Roman colonies, and many great buildings were constructed, such as the temple of Mars, which was known across the Empire. Celeia was incorporated into Aquileia ca. 320 under the Roman Emperor Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
(272-337).
The city was razed by Slavic tribes during the Migration period
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
of the 5th and 6th centuries, but was rebuilt in the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
. The first mention of Celje in the Middle Ages was under the name of Cylie in Wolfhold von Admont's Chronicle, which was written between 1122 and 1137.
Counts of Celje
The Counts of Cilli or Celje represent the most important medieval aristocratic and ruling house with roots and territory in present-day Slovenia....
from 1341 to 1456 It acquired market-town status in the first half of the 14th century and town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
from Count Frederick II on 11 April 1451.
After the Counts of Celje died out in 1456, the region was inherited by the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and administered by the Duchy of Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
. The city walls and defensive moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
were built in 1473. The town defended itself against Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
and in 1515 during great Slovene peasant revolt against peasants, who had taken Old Castle
Celje Castle
Celje Castle is a castle ruin in Celje, Slovenia, formerly the seat of the Counts of Celje. It stands on three hills to the southeast of Celje, where the river Savinja meanders into the Laško valley. Today, the castle is in the process of being restorated...
.
Many local nobles converted to Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
during the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, but the region was converted back to Roman Catholicism
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
during the Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
. Celje became part of the Habsburgs' Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. In 1867, after the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
, the town became part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
.
The first service
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
on the Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
-Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
railway line
Austrian Southern Railway
The Austrian Southern Railway was an Austrian railway company established in 1841...
came through Celje on 27 April 1846. In 1895, Celje secondary school, established in 1808, began to teach in Slovene.
At the end of the 19th century and in the early 20th century, Celje was a center of German nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
which had repercussions for Slovenes. The 1910 census showed that 66,8% of the population was German. A symbol of this was the German Cultural Center, built in 1906 and opened on 15 May 1907, today it is Celje Hall
Celje Hall
The Celje Hall is a community center in Celje, Slovenia.- Overview :It was built in an eclectic style by the Viennese architect Peter Paul Brang between 1905 and 1906 as the main seat of ethnic German associations in town. At such, it was intended to contrast with the Slovenian Community Center...
. The centuries-old German name of the town, Cilli, sounded no longer German enough to some German residents, the form Celle being preferred by many. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica listed the town under the German name Cilli.
Population growth was steady during this period. In 1900, Celje had 6,743 inhabitants and by 1924 this had grown to 7,750. The National Hall
National Hall, Celje
National Hall is a city hall in Celje, Slovenia. It was built between 1895 and 1896 and today hosts the seat of a township. It was designed by Czech architect Jan Vladimír Hráský....
(Narodni dom), which hosts the Mayors Office and Town Council today, was built in 1896. The first telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
line was installed in 1902 and the city received electric power
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
in 1913.
Slovene and German ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism is a form of nationalism wherein the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity. Whatever specific ethnicity is involved, ethnic nationalism always includes some element of descent from previous generations and the implied claim of ethnic essentialism, i.e...
increased during the 19th and early 20th centuries. With the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918 as a result of World War I, Celje became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
). During this period, the town experienced a rapid industrialization and a substantial growth in population.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in April 1941. The Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
arrived in Celje on 16 April 1941 and were followed three days later by SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
leader Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
, who inspected Stari pisker. During the war the city suffered from allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
bombing, aimed at important communication lines and military installations. The National Hall was severely damaged.
The toll of the war on the city was heavy. The city (including nearby towns) had a pre-war population of 20,000 and lost 575 people during the war, mostly between the ages of 20 and 30. More than 1,500 people were deported to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
or into the German interior of the Third Reich
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Around 300 people were interned and around 1,000 people imprisoned in Celje's prisons. An unknown number of citizens were 'forcibly' conscripted into the German army
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. Around 600 "stolen children" were taken to Nazi Germany for germanization. A monument in Celje called Vojna in mir (War and Peace) by the sculptor Jakob Savinšek
Jakob Savinšek
Jakob Savinšek, was a Slovene sculptor, illustrator and poet.- Life :Savinšek was born in the Upper Carniolan town of Kamnik, then part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes , where he spent his youth. After finishing secondary school in Ljubljana, he studied medicine at the University of...
, commemorates the World War II era.
After the end of the war, the remaining German-speaking portion of the populace was expelled
Expulsion of Germans after World War II
The later stages of World War II, and the period after the end of that war, saw the forced migration of millions of German nationals and ethnic Germans from various European states and territories, mostly into the areas which would become post-war Germany and post-war Austria...
. The new communist government took advantage of existing anti-tank trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
, dug around Celje by the retreating German army, by using them as mass grave
Mass grave
A mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...
s. They were filled with Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n, Serbian, and Slovenian militia members who had collaborated with the Germans, as well as civilians who had opposed either the national liberation movement
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
or the communist revolution during the war, civilians of German descent or simply individuals accused or suspected of anti-communism
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
. The purpose was to physically eliminate any potential political opposition, on the pretext of collaboration with the enemy. The Yugoslav National Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
executed more than 80,000 - mostly Croat, German and Slovenian - prisoners in the Celje area, without any judicial process. The bodies were buried in hidden mass graves in Celje; the exact number is still not known. At the concentration camp at Teharje
Teharje
Teharje is a settlement in the municipality of Celje in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the right bank of the Voglajna River on the eastern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region...
, some 5,000 Slovenians, hundreds of them minors, were murdered within two months after the end of the war, again without trial. Furthermore, refugee trains carrying German civilians from the "Rann triangle" area were halted near Celje on August 5, 1945 and their passengers sent to a concentration camp at Teharje. After the camp was closed in 1950, the local authorities established a huge industrial dump over the graveyard there, concealing the evidence of killings under a mound of toxic waste. In the middle 70s, 30 years after crimes, the local authorities build preschools, schools, blocks, halls and other objects on mass graves. In 1991, when it became possible again to discuss the facts pertaining to the massacre, the Slovenian government decided to build a memorial to the victims of Teharje.
Celje became part of independent Slovenia following the Ten-Day War
Ten-Day War
The Ten-Day War or the Slovenian Independence War was a military conflict between the Slovenian Territorial Defence and the Yugoslav People's Army in 1991 following Slovenia's declaration of independence.-Background:...
in 1991. On April 7, 2006, Celje became the seat of a new Diocese of Celje, created by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
within the Archdiocese of Maribor. The town's tourist sights include a Grayfriars'
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery founded in 1241 and a palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
from the 16th century.
Symbols
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Celje are based on the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje
Counts of Celje
The Counts of Cilli or Celje represent the most important medieval aristocratic and ruling house with roots and territory in present-day Slovenia....
.
The coat-of-arms of Celje was selected for the national arms immediately after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1918, when Slovenia together with Croatia and Serbia formed the original Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
). A similar coat of arms was integrated into the Slovenian national arms
Coat of arms of Slovenia
The Slovenian coat of arms consists of a red bordered blue shield on which there is a stylised white mount Triglav. Under Triglav there are two bending lines that represent the sea and rivers, and above Triglav there are three golden, six-pointed stars, forming a triangle...
in 1991.
Subdivisions
Settlements
39 settlements are included in the urban municipality:
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Lokrovec Lokrovec is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the northern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Lopata Lopata is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the northwestern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Medlog Medlog is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the western outskirts of Celje. The grass runway of Celje Airport is located in the western part of the settlement. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the... Osenca Osenca is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the southeastern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Otemna Otemna is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies in the hills to the north of Celje itself. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Pecovnik Pečovnik is a settlement on the left bank of the river Savinja in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.... Pepelno Pepelno is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies in the hills to the north of Ceje itself. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Prekorje Prekorje is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies to the north of Celje, just west of Škofja vas. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Rožni Vrh Rožni Vrh is a settlement in the hills to the north of Celje in eastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the Celje municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Runtole Runtole is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies in the hills to the north of Celje, next to Lake Šmartinsko. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External... Slance Slance is a small settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the eastern outskirts of Celje, just north of Teharje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical... Slatina v Rožni dolini Slatina v Rožni dolini is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the northern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... |
Šentjungert Šentjungert is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the northwestern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.The local church is... Škofja vas Škofja vas is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the river Hudinja in the northern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External... Šmarjeta pri Celju Šmarjeta pri Celju is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the river Hudinja in thr northern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical... Šmartno v Rožni dolini Šmartno v Rožni dolini is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the northern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region... Šmiklavž pri Škofji vasi Šmiklavž pri Škofji vasi is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the northeastern outskirts of Celje, just north of Ljubečna. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja... Teharje Teharje is a settlement in the municipality of Celje in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the right bank of the Voglajna River on the eastern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region... Tremerje Tremerje is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the right bank of the river Savinja on the southwestern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region... Trnovlje pri Celju Trnovlje pri Celju is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies in the northeastern suburbs of Celje itself. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Zacret Začret is a small settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the eastern outskirts of Celje, to the east of Trnovlje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical... Zadobrova Zadobrova is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Zvodno Zvodno is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the southeastern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... Žepina Žepina is a settlement in the Celje municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies on the eastern outskirts of Celje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*... |
Districts and local communities
Districts
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Local communities
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Demographics
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In 1991 in the town lived:
- SloveniansSloveniansThe Slovenes, Slovene people, Slovenians, or Slovenian people are a South Slavic people primarily associated with Slovenia and the Slovene language.-Population:Most Slovenes today live within the borders of the independent Slovenia...
: 33.434 (82,1%) - SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
: 1864 (4,6%) - CroatsCroatsCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
: 1687 (4,1%) - Muslims by nationalityMuslims by nationalityMuslims by nationality was a term used in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as an official designation of nationality of Slavic Muslims. They were one of the constitutive groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
: 466 (1,1%) - YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
: 405 (1%) - AlbaniansAlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
: 189 - MacedoniansMacedonians (ethnic group)The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
: 140 - Montenegrins: 93
- Hungarians: 41
- Others: 82
- Unknown: 1972 (4,8%)
- Undeclarated: 249
- Regionally declarated: 88
Celje has 47,660 citizens as of 2002:
- Male: 22,744;
- Female: 24,816;
- Households: 18,410;
- Mean number of household members: 2.6;
- Apartments: 19,578;
- Buildings with apartments: 8,090.
The Celje annual municipal festival is held on April 11.
Education
Celje does not have its own university, although some college-level education has been established in the city. The Faculty of LogisticsLogistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
, formally part of the University of Maribor
University of Maribor
The University of Maribor is the second university in Slovenia, established in 1975. It currently has 17 faculties.-History:The university's roots reach back to 1859, when a theological seminary was established with the encouragement of Maribor bishop and patriot Anton Martin Slomšek...
, was established in Celje in 2005. In 2006, Tehnopolis Celje was established, a technological center with an international university. The project will be completed in 2013.
Courts
In Celje there are three courts of general jurisdiction:- Celje Higher Court;
- Celje District Court;
- Celje Local Court.
In addition to that there are also Celje Labour Court for resolving labour law disputes and an external department of Administrative Court for resolving disputes arising from administrative procedures.
Communications
Twin cities and friendship towns
| Twin cities Town twinning Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :... |
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| Grevenbroich Grevenbroich Grevenbroich is a town in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Erft, approximately 15 km southwest of Neuss and 15 km southeast of Mönchengladbach.-City districts:... |
(since 1986) | |
| Singen Singen Singen is an industrial city in the very south of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany and just north of the German-Swiss border.-Location:... |
(since 1990) | |
| Slavonski Brod Slavonski Brod Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar. Located in the region of Slavonia, it is the... |
(since 2010) | |
| Friendship towns | ||
| Budva Budva Budva is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has around 15,000 inhabitants, and it is the centre of municipality... |
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| Cherepovets Cherepovets Cherepovets is the largest city in Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Rybinsk Reservoir of the Sheksna River, a tributary of the Volga River. Population: 311,869 ; It is served by Cherepovets Airport.-Location:... |
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| Ćuprija Cuprija Ćuprija is a town and administrative district in Serbia, at 43.93° North, 21.38° East... |
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| Graz Graz The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students... |
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| Spittal an der Drau Spittal an der Drau Spittal an der Drau is located in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia and the administrative centre of the federal state's second largest district, Spittal an der Drau. It lies between the Lurnfeld area and the Lower Drava Valley. The city consists of the seven... |
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Notable residents
- Hermann II of CeljeHermann II of CeljeHermann II was a Count of Celje and Ban of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. Hermann was the son of Hermann I, Count of Cilli and his wife Katherine of Bosnia.Hermann II married Countess Anna of Schaunberg in c...
(1365–1435), Count of Celje, Ortenburg and Seger - Anna of CeljeAnna of CeljeAnne of Celje was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania, 1402–1416 as second wife of Jogaila, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania ....
(1381–1416), second wife of Jogaila - king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania - Barbara of CeljeBarbara of CeljeBarbara of Cilli was the spouse of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and as such Holy Roman Empress. She was by marriage also Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and also Holy Roman Empress. She received the sobriquet "Messalina of Germany" for her political intrigues, and was instrumental in creating the...
(1390/1395-1451), second wife of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor - Ulrich II of CeljeUlrich II of CeljeUlrich II , also known as Ulrich Cillei, was the last Princely Count of Celje.Ulrich II. was the son of Count Frederick II of Celje and his wife Elizabeth, a scion of the Croatian House of Frankopan. Little is known of his youth...
(1406–1456), Count of Celje - Thomas Berlower (Thomas of Cilli) (1421–1496), Bishop of KonstanzKonstanzKonstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
from 1491–1496 - Ambrosy of Belaya Crintsa (Ambrosy of Belaya Crintsa) (1791–1863), Old Believers Bishop
- Johann Krainz(1847–1907), Austrian writer ("Hans von der Sann")
- Vatroslav Oblak (1864–1896), linguist
- Josip Tominšek (1872–1954), linguist and alpinist
- Cvetko Golar (1879–1965), poet and author
- Margarete Weinhandl(1880–1975), Austrian writer
- Vladimir Levstik (1886–1957), author and translator
- August Friedrich Seebacher (1887–1940), painter and graphic artist
- Alma KarlinAlma KarlinAlma Vilibalda Maximiliana Karlin , was a Slovene-Austrian traveler, writer, poet, collector, polyglot and theosophist....
(1889–1950), traveller, author, poet, and collector - Anica ČernejAnica CernejAnica Černej was a Slovene author and poet.-Career:Černej worked at college of education in Ljubljana, where her main interests were social and pedagogical subjects.-Controversy:...
(1900–1944), poet, author, and schoolmistress - Thea Gammelin (1906–1988), painter
- Josef Kaiser (1910–1991), architect
- Darinka Pavletič-Lorenčak (born 1924), painter and graphic artist, poet, honorary citizen of Celje
- Andrej HiengAndrej HiengAndrej Hieng was a Slovene writer, playwright and theatre director.Hieng was born in Ljubljana in 1925. He studied at the Academy of Performing Arts in Ljubljana between 1948 and 1952 and worked as a theatre director in Kranj, Celje and Ljubljana...
(born 1925), author - Lojze Rozman (1930–1997), actor
- Milan PogačnikMilan PogačnikMilan Pogačnik is a Slovenian politician. Between November 2008 and March 2010, he served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition of Slovenia....
(born 1946), politician - Janez DrozgJanez DrozgJanez Drozg was a Slovene television and film director from Celje. Alongside his work with TV Ljubljana which dominated much of his career, he also directed features films such as Boj na požiralniku in 1982 and even made an appearance as an actor in the 1980 film Prestop playing the character of...
(1933–2005), film director - Emerik Bernard (born 1937), painter
- Janez K. Lapajne (born 1937), geophysicist and seismologist
- Janez DrnovšekJanez DrnovšekJanez Drnovšek was a Slovenian liberal politician, President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia , Prime Minister of Slovenia and President of Slovenia . He was born in Celje, Slovenia, then the Socialist Republic of Slovenia...
(1950–2008), politician, statesman, and third president of SloveniaPresident of SloveniaThe function of President of the Republic of Slovenia was established on 23 December 1991, when the National Assembly of Slovenia passed a new constitution as a result of independence from Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.... - Bina Štampe ŽmavcBina Štampe ŽmavcBina Štampe Žmavc, a Slovene writer, poetess, director and translator, *4 October 1951, Celje-Biography:She was born on 4 October 1951 in Celje. She visited both primary and grammar schools in Celje. After the grammar school she studied comparative literature and literary theory at the Faculty of...
(born 1951), poet and author - Brina Zupančič (born 1953), pianist and composer
- Jelko KacinJelko KacinJelko Kacin is a Slovenian politician and Member of the European Parliament. During the Slovenian Independence War he was the Secretary of Information of Slovenia. He founded the Slovenian Press Agency on 3 June 1991 and the war started on 27 June 1991...
(born 1955), politician - Oto PestnerOto PestnerOto Pestner is one of the most prominent singers and composers of popular music from Slovenia, born in 1956 in Ljubljana. Until 2008 he was the leader of the Slovene vocal group New Swing Quartet....
(born 1956), musician and singer - Romana Jordan CizeljRomana Jordan CizeljRomana Jordan Cizelj is a Slovenian politician and physicist, currently serving as Member of the European Parliament. She is a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party, which is part of the European People's Party, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and...
(born 1966), physicist and politician - Janez LapajneJanez LapajneJanez Lapajne [yannez la-pie-nay] is a Slovenian film director,and former president of Directors Guild of Slovenia.The son of geophysicist and seismologist Janez K...
(born 1967), film director - Gregor CankarGregor CankarGregor Cankar is a Slovenian athlete competing in long jump who won the bronze medal at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. He finished sixth at the 1996 Summer Olympics....
(born 1975), athlete - Jolanda ČeplakJolanda CeplakJolanda Čeplak is a Slovenian middle distance athlete. She was born in Celje and lived in Velenje until moving to Monaco.-Running career:...
(born 1976), athlete - Urška ŽolnirUrška ŽolnirUrška Žolnir Bezalel is a Slovenian judoka.She won the bronze medal in the half-middleweight division at the 2004 Summer Olympics.-External links:*...
(born 1981), judoist - Beno UdrihBeno UdrihBeno Udrih is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. He was traded to the Bucks on June 23, 2011 after spending four seasons in Sacramento. -Early career:...
(born 1982), basketball player - Lucija PolavderLucija PolavderLucija Polavder is a Slovene judoka. Polavder competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics where she didn't advance from the first round. At the 2008 Summer Olympics she advancet to the semifinals, where she was defeated by Japanese Maki Tsukada...
(born 1984), judoka - Vita Mavrič, chanteuse and singer
- Janko Orožen, historian
- Andreja Rihter, minister of culture of Slovenia
- Draža MihailovićDraža MihailovicDragoljub "Draža" Mihailović was a Yugoslav Serbian general during World War II...
(1893–1946), Serbian resistance leader - Bogumil VošnjakBogumil VošnjakBogumil Vošnjak, also known as Bogomil Vošnjak was a Slovene and Yugoslav jurist, politician, diplomat, author and legal historian...
(1882–1955), scholar, politician, diplomat
External links
- Celje at Geopedia
- Official website
- Celjecafe.com Unofficial website, Celje forums, news, events, photos and more
- Celje municipal flag
- Teharje monument photos