Moravče | |
---|---|
Town | |
Location of the town of Moravče in Slovenia | |
Coordinates: 46°08′10″N 14°44′45″E / 46.13611°N 14.74583°ECoordinates: 46°08′10″N 14°44′45″E / 46.13611°N 14.74583°E | |
Country | Slovenia |
Government | |
• Mayor | Martin Rebolj |
Area | |
• Total | 1.8 km2 (0.7 sq mi) |
Population (1 January 2012) | |
• Total | 923 |
• Density | 511/km2 (1,320/sq mi) |
Time zone | CET (UTC+01) |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+02) |
Moravče (pronounced [mɔˈɾaːu̯tʃɛ]; German: Moräutsch) is a settlement in the Municipality of Moravče in central Slovenia. Traditionally the area was part of the Upper Carniola region. The village is home to about 925 people. It includes the hamlet of Trzen (German: Tersen).
Moravče was attested in written sources in 1232 as Morawitz (and as Morauz in 1286 and Moraucz in 1301). The name is probably derived from a clipped noun phrase, Moravьče (selo); literally, 'Moravьcь's (village)'. It thus refers to an early inhabitant of the place. Locally, the settlement is also known as Maravče. In the past the German name was Moräutsch.
Moravče is an old religious center and was already made a parish in the 12th century. The settlement is located in a wet, low-lying area, and the first settlement at the site was where the cemetery is currently located and was known as Moravče na Griču 'Moravče on the hill'. Freeholders and lesser nobility made up a large part of the population, and they also bore responsibility for safeguarding the area. Cloth-making and other crafts flourished during the feudal era.
At the beginning of the 17th century, various radical sects were active in the area, led by the smith Gašper Goleš and his son Luka. Until the road to Vienna through the Black Valley (Slovene: Črni graben) was built at the beginning of the 18th century, Moravče was on the freight route for transporting mercury from Idrija to Styria. Moravče was granted market rights by Maria Theresa in the 18th century; this especially applied to collecting vendors' fees at fairs, which were held at Martinmas and Saint Matthias' Day. A school was founded in Moravče in 1823, and a schoolhouse was built in 1865. A fire station was built in 1907. The tradition of a night watchman that called the hours was retained until 1933.