Međimurje County

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Map showing Medjimurje county within Croatia
Map showing Medjimurje county within Croatia

Medjimurje (Međimurska županija) is a triangle-shaped county in the northernmost part of Croatia. In the western part of the county, there are slopes of Alpine foothills, while toward the east it touches the flat Pannonian plains. It shares borders with Slovenia and Hungary, with Austria just over the corner. The region is flattered by the name Hortus Croatiae (the park of Croatia). The climate is continental, with hot, often stormy summers, calm autumns, and severe winters.

Physical characteristics

The county covers the plains between the rivers of Mura (Mur in German) and Drava, both of which regularly flood and frequently change their paths. The Mura passes through, dividing Croatia from Slovenia and also from another administrative entity, Varazdinska Zupanija, just to the south. The county is between 120 m and Mohokos's 344 m above sea level. In upper Međimurje, the Mura changes its course often, moving slowly toward the north.

Of the whole area, 36,000 ha are used in agriculture; unfortunately, due to the high population density, agricultural land is divided into 21,000 units averaging 1.75 ha each. 2,750 ha are covered with orchards; 1,100 ha of the hilly area with small picturesque towns like Štrigova in the western part are vineyards. Pasturelands and forests are roughly 10,500 ha. The biggest forest is Murščak, located between Domašinec and Donji Hrašćan (hrast = oak tree in Croatian).

The eastern limits of the county are near Legrad. The closest cities are Varaždin, Koprivnica, Nagykanisza, Murska Sobota, Bjelovar, Maribor, and Graz, in all three states.

The area has occasional earthquakes. An earthquake of significant strength hit the region in 1880, while another one in 1738 was devastating.


People

The area has 126,500 residents in 126 smaller municipalities and is populated mainly by Croatians of Roman Catholic extraction, with up to 4% Hungarians, Germans, Albanians, Slovenes and Roma. It is the smallest (729.5 km² or 72,956 ha) county but the most densely populated with 164.2 persons/km&sup2. It is often called Međimurje malo, (Little Međimurje). Čakovec, a city of 17,500, is the center of local activities.

Until recently, the region was heavily agricultural so that even today nearly 6,500 people--or 5.2%--are part of the official agriculture business with an additional 7.5 % being an unofficial part of it, totaling 12.7%, which is above the national average. The demographics of the region changed swiftly in the period between 1950 and 1975, with a significant reduction in the size of the basic population unit--the family. From the national perspective, the population is moving gradually and permanently toward the Istra region, while the seasonal workforce moves toward Zagreb. The natural population increase is minute.

Each of the bigger municipalities has an elementary school center, while Čakovec offers more: the Gymnasium, technical and construction high schools, and the academy (Pedagoška Akademija Čakovec), to fulfill the local and country's needs for education cadre.

Business and economy

The economy of the region is based today on a variety of industries, such as textiles Međimurska trikotaža,(originally the Graner Co) Čateks, Modeks, footwear (Jelen and Meiso), food (Agromeđimurje, Vajda, and Čakovecki Mlinovi), and metal fabrication plants (Ferro-Preis, TMT, and Tehnix). Other industries include the printing and publishing activities of (Zrinski), building materials, building and construction (Tegra and Beton), and chemical (Meplast and Muraplast). Industry has developed mostly in the central and eastern parts, corresponding with the population distribution. Transit, communication and the trade (Trgocentar) continue to be important.

Roughly 22,000 people are employed, with 60% of them in bigger companies. An average monthly net wage was 2442 kn in 2002. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, nearly 17,000 of its inhabitants have been employed abroad, in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and beyond. This area is one of the nation's richest and most prosperous.

There are recreational spas in Vučkovec. There are also mountaineering, hunting, fishing, and other clubs including more than 200 of them for sports activities.

Resources

There are deposits of coal in Mursko Središće, Peklenica and Lopatinec (lopata = shovel in Croatian), the exploration of which was part of economic life between 1946 and 1972. The total output then was close to 4,600,000 t but was unprofitable compared to the price of gasoline. The estimated reserves are 200,000,000 t, but new technology and approaches would be needed to extract it profitably.

Gas and crude oil deposits were found first in Croatia here, in Selnica and Peklenica, in 1856. The latter got its name from the word "pekel", meaning "hell" in the local dialect, since the people quickly noticed the peculiar properties of the dark, greasy liquid in small ponds appearing spontaneously on the ground. At the time, reserves were calculated to be around 170,000 t. There was exploitation from 1886 to 1889 and even in the 20th century when world demand was in its infancy, and no other sources were even needed. A modern pipeline stretches from Omišalj on the Adriatic coast toward the refinery in Lendava (Lendva) just north from here.

Two hydroelectric dams on the Drava built in 1982 and 1989 provide (161 MW) of electric power and are used for flood control and irrigation.

Geothermal resources do exist but cannot be considered as a profitable energy source and are used for leisure and recreation. Gold particles can be found in both rivers' sands. In 1955, the geological survey figured out the gold concentration in the Drava river to be between 2.5- 24.4 mg per m&sup3, occasionally reaching 111-150 mg per m&sup3.

Communication and infrastructure

Međimurje is a strong trade and communication hub connecting central Europe with Varaždin, Zagreb, and Karlovac as well as the port of Rijeka on the shores of the Adriatic sea, mainly in Kvarner bay. Kotoriba is proud of the first railway station building in Croatia and one of the first railway tracks connecting it to Čakovec in the westbound direction. The first railroad track was built here in 1860, helping to connect Budapest with the southern ports Rijeka and Trieste. The second railroad tied Čakovec with Mursko Sredisce and Lendava in Slovenia in 1889. The road infrastructure is good and includes the new expressway connecting Hungary via Goričan to Zagreb and the seashore. Everyday communication in business, trade and education within as well between the counties and countries makes the area dynamic and open.


History

The first organized human habitations might be traced here back to the era of junger (stone age), roughly 5000 BC. Numerous findings tell us also about life later, in the bronze age. The origins of inhabitants in both historic spans of time are still uncertain. As for the neolithic locality called Ferenčica near Prelog, urban legend tells us only that it was inhabitad by bad, virtueless people.

During the iron age, the tribes here were identifiable as those of the Celts and Pannons, later subdued by the ever-expanding Roman military machine. In the 1st century AD, the Romans according to the geographer Strabo knew the place as Insula intra Dravam et Muram ("the island between Drava and Mura rivers"). The city as a locality was called Aquama ("the wet city"), since the area was marshland. Since 1093, when the Archdiocese of Zagreb was established, this area has always been part of mightier Zagreb despite interests of different powers and consequently numerous clashes to try to cut that bond. During the 13th century, many military groups belonging to localities that we know today were formed. Prelog was founded in 1264, shortly after the invasion by Mongols in 1242.

Čakovec got its name thanks to the count Dimitry Csaky (Dimitrij Čak), who with the beginning of the 13th century erected the timber fortification that eventually was named "Csaky's tower", mentioned for the first time in 1328. With the decree of king Robert in 1333, the fortified settlement on the location of today's Čakovec was announced to be the capitol. It was given as a gift in 1350 to then viceroy, (ban) Stjepan Lackovic, a member of the Hermann family ruling Nurenberg. Faster development occurred after 1547, (1552?) under Nikola Šubić and the rest of the Zrinski family. In 1579, the population of craftsmen and merchants outside the walls was granted the right to trade, which was the beginning of the formal and legal city structure.

The region has a history of being in the hands of different rulers and powers, a military buffer zone between the Ottoman Empire and Vienna. The most important era was the period during the 16th and 17th centuries when Čakovec was the headquarters of Croatian rulers, military leaders and intellectuals, among whom the Zrinski family is most famous. Nikola Zrinski (1620 - 1664) distinguished himself in the wars against the Turks. At the coronation of Ferdinand IV, he carried the sword of state and was made captain-general of Croatia. He was killed during a hunt under dubious circumstances. Petar Zrinski, in conflict with the Austrian Empire, was accused of treason and executed in 1671 in Wiener Neustadt while his wife Katarina Zrinski died inprisoned by the same dynasty in 1673. The area was of important as a trade center with Hungary positioned just on the main roads, facilitating the exchange of goods, crafts and ideas.

In 1738, the once-proud castle was hit by a natural disaster, an earthquake, which caused tremendous damage. The Althan family ruling it at that time made some repairs, but times changed. In 1741, fire caused additional damage. The castle started to decay, slowly sinking into oblivion, while the town's civil activities and their importance started to grow. After 1848, Josip Jelačić, a national and political military leader, pushed the Hungarian forces from that region, and soon the city was freed by political decree. With the year 1860, and later 1889, the railroad was introduced, while in 1893 electric power started illuminating most of the city streets with 131 lanterns.

Miscellaneous, sightseeing

  • Since the 4th century BC, there have been reports of floating mills powered by river streams. Ancient know-how was later accepted first by arriving Slavs, then by Ugars. Many of these mills were operating along the Mura some decades ago. The last one, in Mursko Sredisce, was still in use in the 1970s.
  • The German national Anthem, written by the Croatian-speaking composer Joseph Haydn, is derived from the song known in Međimurje and some northern regions of Croatia under the name "Stal se jesam".
  • The first crude oil pipeline was built in this part of Europe between Mursko Središće and the Selnica in 1901. Interestingly, at that time the annual production was less than 7,000 t.
  • The county, due to the cultural influences from outside, has a rich ethnological history and a rich folklore. More than 15,000 local songs have been collected here by ethnomusicologist Vinko Žganec.
  • Maltar and Co. of Kotoriba, later Međimurjeplet with its basket-waving business, (baskets, chairs), has been a significant part of the local economy since the beginning of the 20th century.
  • In Čakovec, the Zrinski's castle, there is local Museum of Međimurje with 17,000 items of historical or ethnological value, also the Kralj gallery.
  • The village Križovec might be the only place in the world where people used to, and still do, extract boulders of coal by pulling them from the bottom of the running Mura river.
  • The school of animated film, ŠAF (Škola Animiranog Filma), is active, doing well and taking its part in domestic and many international festivals.

Municipalities

The other two cities are Mursko Sredisce and Prelog. Towns are Sveti Martin na Muri, Sveta Marija, Draškovec, Donji Kraljevec, Donja Dubrava, Goričan, Hodošan, Belica AKA the "Potato City", Šenkovec, and Macinec. Nedelišće has one of the first Croatian printing presses installed and operating there since 1570 by the order of the Zrinskis. Čakovec keeps special ties with the sister city Schramberg in Germany.

Local notable people


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