Žužemberk
| Žužemberk | |
|---|---|
| Town and Municipality | |
 |
|
 Location of the Municipality of Žužemberk in Slovenia |
|
 Žužemberk
|
|
| Coordinates: 45°50′N 14°56′E / 45.833°N 14.933°ECoordinates: 45°50′N 14°56′E / 45.833°N 14.933°E | |
| Country |
 Slovenia
|
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Franc Škufca |
| Area | |
| • Total | 164.3 km2 (63.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Total | 4,579 |
| • Density | 28/km2 (72/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+01) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+02) |
| Website | www |
| Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, census of 2002. | |
Žužemberk (pronounced [ˈʒuːʒɛmbɛɾk]; German: Seisenberg), is a town and a municipality in the Dinaric Alps of Slovenia, located south-east of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region. As of 2002 the municipality had a total population of 4579. Žužemberk lies in the southern part of Carniola on the left bank of the Krka River and is dominated by a medieval castle. The parish church was completely destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in recent years. The municipality contains around three settlements.
The Romans built a road through the region. Žužemberk was first mentioned in written documents dating to 1246. In 1399 it was granted market rights. The castle is believed to date back to around 1000, and the castle chapel dedicated to St. Ulrich was built in 1046. The village that grew around the castle was located at an intersection, and most of its inhabitants were craftsmen or peasants who traded their goods and held fairs.
Between 1526 and 1533, the prince bishop Krištof Rauba fortified the castle and added seven defence towers or bastilles. As a result of its new strength, the brothers Jurij and Wolf Auersperg from Turjak bought the castle in 1538, and for centuries the castle and town were in the possession of the leading noble Auersperg family. One of its most esteemed owners was Janez Vajkard I Auersperg, the tutor of the emperor Ferdinand III, who was court councillor and the first minister in the Habsburg monarchy, and who obtained family rights to prevent the castle's sale. In the 16th century the town suffered repeated attacks. In 1559, the castle was conquered by Gregor, an illegitimate son of Jurij Turjaški with eighteen soldiers, but this conquest was quickly suppressed, and the castle was recaptured by Herbart Turjaški, the general of the Croatian region of the time, and the dead soldiers were thrown into the forest to be devoured by wild beasts. In 1575, Countess Ana von Eck from Brdo Castle was killed by a tame bear in the castle courtyard.
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