Novo Mesto
Encyclopedia
Novo Mesto is a city and municipality
in southeastern Slovenia
, close to the border with Croatia
. The town is traditionally considered the economic and cultural centre of the historic Lower Carniola
region.
. The total municipal area is 298.5 square kilometres (115.3 sq mi), situated on a bend of the Krka River
.
(Early Iron Age) and has been nicknamed the "City of Situlas" after numerous situlas
found in the area.
Graben Castle down the Krka river, ancestral seat of the noble House of Graben von Stein
, was first mentioned in a 1170 deed.
The town itself was founded by the Habsburg archduke Rudolf IV of Austria
on 7 April 1365 as Rudolfswerth . The Austrian Habsburgs had received the Carniolan march
from the hands of Emperor Louis IV
in 1335 and in 1364 Rudolf "the Founder" had proclaimed himself a Duke of Carniola
.
Following World War I
and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary
, the city passed to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
and was officially renamed Novo mesto although it had been informally known as such since its founding. During World War II
the city passed back and forth between Nazi Germany
and the Kingdom of Italy
, finally settling in German hands.
In 1958, the authorities of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
had a motorway
built connecting the Slovenian capital Ljubljana
and Zagreb
in Croatia
, which passed through Novo Mesto. The A2 motorway
is today part of the European route E70
. With its construction, Novo Mesto became much better connected to the rest of Slovenia and the rest of Yugoslavia, and began to grow as an important regional center.
of 2002, it has 40,925 inhabitants, 20,017 male and 20,908 female. The average age of the inhabitants is 39.58.
There are a total of 13,796 households and 11,408 families.
The municipality of Novo Mesto has a working-age population of 19,579, of whom 2,118 are unemployed. The average gross monthly wage
in August 2003 was €
1,099.27 (263,432 tolars
) and the average net monthly wage was €687.90 (164,851 tolars). There are 1,725 students in the municipality.
On 7 April 2006 Novo Mesto became the see for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Novo Mesto
, which is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ljubljana
. The main church in the city is dedicated to Saint Nicholas
and is an originally Gothic
building that was rebuilt in the Baroque
style in the 17th century.
enthusiasts who take tours throughout the Lower Carniola region, tasting locally produced Cviček
wine, which is produced by blending several different varieties of local wine
.
Major industries include:
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in southeastern 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...
, close to the border 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 ...
. The town is traditionally considered the economic and cultural centre of the historic Lower Carniola
Lower Carniola
Lower Carniola was a kreis of the historical Habsburg crown land of Carniola from 1849 till 1919 and is nowadays a traditional region of Slovenia. Its center is Novo Mesto, while other urban centers include Kočevje, Grosuplje, Krško, Trebnje, Mirna, Črnomelj, Semič, and Metlika.-See also:* Upper...
region.
Geography
The municipality of Novo Mesto is part of the Southeast Slovenia statistical regionJugovzhodna Slovenija statistical region
The Southeast Slovenia statistical region is a statistical region in the south-east of Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Novo Mesto. It is the largest region in Slovenia. It has the highest share of young people with 15.8%...
. The total municipal area is 298.5 square kilometres (115.3 sq mi), situated on a bend of the Krka River
Krka (Slovenia)
The Krka is a river in the historic Lower Carniola region of Slovenia, a right tributary of the Sava.It sources at Gradiček near the village of Krka, about southwest of Ivančna Gorica and around southeast of Ljubljana, before flowing southeast...
.
History
Novo Mesto (literally "New Town") has been settled since pre-history - the city is one of the most important archeological sites of the Hallstatt cultureHallstatt 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...
(Early Iron Age) and has been nicknamed the "City of Situlas" after numerous situlas
Situla (vessel)
Situla, from the Latin for bucket or pail, is a term for a variety of elaborate bucket-shaped vessels from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages, usually with a handle at the top...
found in the area.
Graben Castle down the Krka river, ancestral seat of the noble House of Graben von Stein
House of Graben von Stein
Von Graben von Stein, also named, Ab dem Graben, Von Graben and Vom Graben, is the name of an old Austrian noble family...
, was first mentioned in a 1170 deed.
The town itself was founded by the Habsburg archduke Rudolf IV of Austria
Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
Rudolf IV der Stifter was a scion of the House of Habsburg and Duke of Austria and Duke of Styria and Carinthia from 1358, as well as Count of Tyrol from 1363 and first Duke of Carniola from 1364 until his death...
on 7 April 1365 as Rudolfswerth . The Austrian Habsburgs had received the Carniolan march
March of Carniola
The March of Carniola was a southeastern state of the Holy Roman Empire in the High Middle Ages, the predecessor of the Duchy of Carniola. It corresponded roughly to the central Carniolan region of present-day Slovenia...
from the hands of Emperor Louis IV
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
in 1335 and in 1364 Rudolf "the Founder" had proclaimed himself a Duke of Carniola
Duchy of Carniola
The Duchy of Carniola was an administrative unit of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg Monarchy from 1364 to 1918. Its capital was Ljubljana...
.
Following 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...
and the dissolution 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 city passed to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
and was officially renamed Novo mesto although it had been informally known as such since its founding. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the city passed back and forth between Nazi Germany
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...
and the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
, finally settling in German hands.
In 1958, the authorities of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
had a motorway
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
built connecting the Slovenian capital Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
and Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
in 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 ...
, which passed through Novo Mesto. The A2 motorway
A2 motorway (Slovenia)
The A2 motorway is a motorway in Slovenia, around 175 km long, connecting Karavanke Tunnel via the capital city Ljubljana to Obrežje . It connects several larger Slovenian cities, including Kranj, Ljubljana and Novo Mesto, and is part of the Pan-European corridor X.The motorway was completed...
is today part of the European route E70
European route E70
European route E 70 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from A Coruña in Spain in the west to the Georgian city of Poti in the east.-Itinerary:...
. With its construction, Novo Mesto became much better connected to the rest of Slovenia and the rest of Yugoslavia, and began to grow as an important regional center.
Demographics
According to the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2002, it has 40,925 inhabitants, 20,017 male and 20,908 female. The average age of the inhabitants is 39.58.
There are a total of 13,796 households and 11,408 families.
The municipality of Novo Mesto has a working-age population of 19,579, of whom 2,118 are unemployed. The average gross monthly wage
Wage
A wage is a compensation, usually financial, received by workers in exchange for their labor.Compensation in terms of wages is given to workers and compensation in terms of salary is given to employees...
in August 2003 was €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1,099.27 (263,432 tolars
Slovenian tolar
The tolar was the currency of Slovenia from 1991 until the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2007. It was subdivided into 100 stotins...
) and the average net monthly wage was €687.90 (164,851 tolars). There are 1,725 students in the municipality.
Culture
Roman Catholic Diocese of Novo Mesto
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Novo Mesto is a diocese located in the city of Novo Mesto in the Ecclesiastical province of Ljubljana in Slovenia.-History:* April 7, 2006: Established as Diocese of Novo Mesto from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ljubljana...
, which is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ljubljana
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ljubljana
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ljubljana is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Slovenia. It was erected as the Diocese of Ljubljana by Pope Eugene IV on 6 December 1461 and was immediately subject to the Holy See from its creation until erected...
. The main church in the city is dedicated to Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
and is an originally Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
building that was rebuilt in the Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style in the 17th century.
Economy
Today, tourism is increasing in Slovenia, and Novo Mesto is feeling some of the effects of this. The Krka Valley is becoming a place for wineWine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
enthusiasts who take tours throughout the Lower Carniola region, tasting locally produced Cviček
Cvicek
Cviček is a Slovenian wine from the Lower Carniola region of Slovenia, composed of various grapes: Modra Frankinja , Žametna Črnina and Kraljevina, and occasionally Laški Rizling is also added...
wine, which is produced by blending several different varieties of local wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
.
Major industries include:
- Industrija motornih vozilIndustrija motornih vozilIndustrija Motornih Vozil was a car manufacturer based in Novo Mesto, Slovenia.Established in 1954, IMV produced cars by license from Austin between 1967 and 1972. In 1973, it started to cooperate with Renault. Independently, IMV produced touring caravans and commercial vehicles of their own design...
/ Adria MobilAdria MobilAdria Mobil is a company from Novo mesto, Slovenia that produce caravans and motorhomes, under the ADRIA and ADRIATIK brandnames and sells 99 percent of the total turnover to the West European markets....
, car manufacturing - Krka (company)Krka (company)Krka, d.d., Novo mesto is an international generic pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. It is one of the leading generic pharmaceutical companies in the world. In 2010, the Krka Group’s total sales were worth EUR 1,010.0 million. Over the past five years, average annual...
, pharmaceuticals
See also
- Krka Basketball ClubKrka Basketball Club-Depth Chart:-In: Marko Đurković Curtis Stinson Jerome Jordan Jimmy Baxter Allan Ray...
- LangenhagenLangenhagenLangenhagen is a town in the Hanover district of Lower Saxony, Germany.-International relations:Langenhagen is twinned with: - Joinville - - Economy :...
- the twin cityTown twinningTwin 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 :...
of Novo Mesto - Novo Mesto Grammar School
External links
- Novo Mesto, official municipality web page.
- Novo Mesto on Geopedia