Gornja Radgona
Encyclopedia
Gornja Radgona is one of the municipalities
and a town
in Slovenia
. Once it was a defensive stronghold for today's regional centre and its twin city, Bad Radkersburg
, on the other side of the river Mura in Austria
. The towns were split in 1919 when the state of Styria
was divided between Austria and Slovenia. After that they developed separately, and Gornja Radgona grew into a new town centre.
settlement on Castle Hill attest to settlement during the Urnfield culture
. Later finds indicate that there may have been a small Roman
settlement here. The Parish
of Gornja Radgona belonged to the Diocese of Salzburg and was founded under the Spanheims in the first half of the 12th century. The Parish Church
in Gornja Radgona is dedicated to Saint Peter
and was built in 1813 and extended in 1890.
The history of Gornja Radgona itself reaches back to the 12th century, when a settlement was established beneath Ratigoj Castle. King Albert I of Habsburg founded today’s Radkersburg on an island in the Mura River, and it was mentioned as a market in 1265 and as a town in 1299. Eventually the old settlement turned into a suburb of the town. Gornja Radgona was built on the slope of Castle Hill (265 m) and the tip of the Slovenske Gorice
hills that separates the Apače Basin from the Mura Basin.
Because of its important location on the Mura River, in the 12th and 13th centuries Gornja Radgona and Radkersburg suffered multiple attacks by the Hungarians and, in the 15th and 16th centuries, attacks by the Ottoman Turks
. In the early 18th century, peasant rebellions were a major problem.
In 1605 the Mura flooded, causing great damage to Gornja Radgona and Radkersberg, and nearly every generation experienced the plague. The worst outbreak was in 1680, and left many houses without occupants.
Gornja Radgona received market rights
in 1907, and town status
after World War II. Prior to 1918 it was administratively connected with Radkersburg. In February 1929, exceptionally cold weather caused ice to accumulate against the old wooden bridge between Gornja Radona and Radkersburg, destroying it. A new wooden bridge was not built until 1932. The favorable geographical location and economic contacts (including joint cooperation in preventing flood and fires, and important transport links) resulted in the joint construction of a new bridge. The bridge was ceremoniously opened on 12 October 1968 by Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito
and Austrian President Franz Jonas
.
During the Ten-Day War
for Slovenia’s independence in 1991, major fighting occurred at the Gornja Radgona border crossing.
Municipalities of Slovenia
Slovenia is divided into 211 municipalities , of which 11 have urban status.Slovene is an official language of all the municipalities. Hungarian is a second official language of 3 municipalities in Prekmurje: Dobrovnik , Hodoš and Lendava...
and a 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...
. Once it was a defensive stronghold for today's regional centre and its twin city, Bad Radkersburg
Bad Radkersburg
Bad Radkersburg is a city in the southeast of the Austrian state of Styria and capital of the district of Radkersburg. It is located at an elevation of 208 m and covers an area of 2.17 km². Its population amounts to about 1,940 people...
, on the other side of the river Mura in 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...
. The towns were split in 1919 when the state of Styria
Styria (state)
Styria is a state or Bundesland, located in the southeast of Austria. In area it is the second largest of the nine Austrian federated states, covering 16,401 km². It borders Slovenia as well as the other Austrian states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Burgenland, and Carinthia. ...
was divided between Austria and Slovenia. After that they developed separately, and Gornja Radgona grew into a new town centre.
History
Traces of NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
settlement on Castle Hill attest to settlement during the Urnfield culture
Urnfield culture
The Urnfield culture was a late Bronze Age culture of central Europe. The name comes from the custom of cremating the dead and placing their ashes in urns which were then buried in fields...
. Later finds indicate that there may have been a small Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement here. The Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Gornja Radgona belonged to the Diocese of Salzburg and was founded under the Spanheims in the first half of the 12th century. The Parish Church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in Gornja Radgona is dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and was built in 1813 and extended in 1890.
The history of Gornja Radgona itself reaches back to the 12th century, when a settlement was established beneath Ratigoj Castle. King Albert I of Habsburg founded today’s Radkersburg on an island in the Mura River, and it was mentioned as a market in 1265 and as a town in 1299. Eventually the old settlement turned into a suburb of the town. Gornja Radgona was built on the slope of Castle Hill (265 m) and the tip of the Slovenske Gorice
Slovenske gorice
Slovenske gorice with an area of 1017 km2 is the largest hilly region of Slovenia, a smaller part is located in the Austrian province of Styria...
hills that separates the Apače Basin from the Mura Basin.
Because of its important location on the Mura River, in the 12th and 13th centuries Gornja Radgona and Radkersburg suffered multiple attacks by the Hungarians and, in the 15th and 16th centuries, attacks by the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
. In the early 18th century, peasant rebellions were a major problem.
In 1605 the Mura flooded, causing great damage to Gornja Radgona and Radkersberg, and nearly every generation experienced the plague. The worst outbreak was in 1680, and left many houses without occupants.
Gornja Radgona received market rights
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in 1907, and town status
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...
after World War II. Prior to 1918 it was administratively connected with Radkersburg. In February 1929, exceptionally cold weather caused ice to accumulate against the old wooden bridge between Gornja Radona and Radkersburg, destroying it. A new wooden bridge was not built until 1932. The favorable geographical location and economic contacts (including joint cooperation in preventing flood and fires, and important transport links) resulted in the joint construction of a new bridge. The bridge was ceremoniously opened on 12 October 1968 by Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
and Austrian President Franz Jonas
Franz Jonas
Franz Josef Jonas was an Austrian political figure. He served as the seventh President of Austria, between 1965 and 1974....
.
During 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:...
for Slovenia’s independence in 1991, major fighting occurred at the Gornja Radgona border crossing.