Gorica, Puconci
Encyclopedia
Górica is a small roadside village in the Puconci
Municipality
in the Prekmurje
region of Slovenia
.
, the main town in the Prekmurje region. The main part of the settlement of Gorica developed along main road that leads from Puconci to Brezovci
.
At the crossroads in the centre of the village
, a secondary road leads southwards to Polana
. There is a second crossroad at the western end of the village with road towards the part of the settlement known as Gornja Gorica (Upper Gorica) and the village of Šalamenci
turning towards the north. There is a natural spring
in the middle of the village. Known locally by the Slovene word for spring, Izvir, it was particularly important before a water supply network
was built in the village in 1968. The spring with the concrete water cistern
built around it, is considered a landmark and is of great pride to local people. The local mini football team is named KMN Izvir Gorica after it.
. There is a variety of soils around the village with a mixture of clay
and sandy soils
towards hills to the north of the settlement and lime-rich marl
stone mixed with sandy soils in the flatlands to the south. Crops cultivated in the area include wheat
, barley
, hybrid corn
, fodder plants
, rye
and sugar beet
. Potato
s for domestic use, as well as pumpkin
s, from which locals extract pumpkin seed oil
, are also grown in the fields and fruit trees are maintained in gardens in the village.
doubles up as a village hall
. It was built in 1957 and includes a conference room
as well as a small auditorium
with a stage
.
Wildlife in the rich hunting
grounds around the village is managed
by the Dolina Hunters' Association (Lovska Družina Dolina) from Puconci.
A women's association, a mini football club and a voluntary firemen's
association are active in the village.
The Štrk Powered Paragliding
Club from Murska Sobota also maintains a launch and landing strip with a small hangar
in Gorica.
. In 1366 it appears as “Goricha in dystrict Sancti Martini”. In 1499 it is spelt “Gorycza”. Sources from 1698 give the population of “Goricza” as 70.
Today there are many religions represented in the village – evangelical
, catholic
and Pentecostal
. Locals of various religious persuasions are well integrated, and even share a common local cemetery.
The modern history of Gorica is similar to that of all neighboring villages. With the rest of Prekmurje, it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary
until 1918 and was included in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
after that. Horthy's Hungary re-occupied the area during the Second World War from 1941 to 1944 and Nazi Germany between 1944 and 1945. It was liberated by Soviet troops in May 1945 and soviet troops were stationed in practically every house in the village.
After the second world war the village with the surrounding infrastructure slowly started to develop. Much was achieved by the villagers themselves through volunteering for the construction of the fire station - village hall and in the asphalt
ing of the main road.
to him was unveiled on the local fire station in 2005 and a competition between local fire brigades is organised in the village in his memory every four years, known as the Karl Flisar Memorial (Gasilski memorial Karla Flisarja).
Ivan Zelko:Zgodovina Prekmurja
Arhiv RS
Geodetski zavod RS
Kronologija vasi Gorica
Puconci
Puconci is a town and a municipality in Slovenia. Prior to 1920 it was known as Battyánd, Hungary.The majority of the population is Lutheran, making Puconci one of the few Slovenian municipalities where the majority of the population belongs to a non-Catholic denomination.There is a Lutheran...
Municipality
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 the Prekmurje
Prekmurje
Prekmurje is a geographically, linguistically, culturally and ethnically defined region settled by Slovenes and lying between the Mur River in Slovenia and the Rába Valley in the most western part of Hungary...
region of 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...
.
Location
Gorica is located only 6 km north of Murska SobotaMurska Sobota
Murska Sobota is a city in northeastern Slovenia. It is located in the eponymous municipality near the Mura River in the region of Prekmurje and is the regional capital.-Name:...
, the main town in the Prekmurje region. The main part of the settlement of Gorica developed along main road that leads from Puconci to Brezovci
Brezovci, Puconci
Brezovci is a village in the Municipality of Puconci in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia.There is a small chapel in the centre of the village with a two-storey belfry....
.
At the crossroads in the centre of the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
, a secondary road leads southwards to Polana
Polana, Murska Sobota
Polana is a village in the Murska Sobota municipality in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia.-External links:*...
. There is a second crossroad at the western end of the village with road towards the part of the settlement known as Gornja Gorica (Upper Gorica) and the village of Šalamenci
Šalamenci
Šalamenci is a village in the Puconci Municipality in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia. The writer, poet and journalist János Fliszár was born in the village.-External links:*...
turning towards the north. There is a natural spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
in the middle of the village. Known locally by the Slovene word for spring, Izvir, it was particularly important before a water supply network
Water supply network
A water supply system or water supply network is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components which provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes:# A drainage basin ;...
was built in the village in 1968. The spring with the concrete water cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
built around it, is considered a landmark and is of great pride to local people. The local mini football team is named KMN Izvir Gorica after it.
Farming
Local people work mostly in agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. There is a variety of soils around the village with a mixture of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and sandy soils
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
towards hills to the north of the settlement and lime-rich marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
stone mixed with sandy soils in the flatlands to the south. Crops cultivated in the area include wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, hybrid corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, fodder plants
Fodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
, rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
and sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
. Potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
s for domestic use, as well as pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
s, from which locals extract pumpkin seed oil
Pumpkin seed oil
Pumpkin seed oil , a culinary specialty of south eastern Austria , eastern Slovenia , north western Croatia Pumpkin seed oil (Kernöl or Kürbiskernöl in German, bučno olje in Slovenian, bučino ulje or bundevino ulje in Croatian, and tökmag-olaj in Hungarian), a culinary specialty of south eastern...
, are also grown in the fields and fruit trees are maintained in gardens in the village.
Social activities
The village fire stationFire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
doubles up as a village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
. It was built in 1957 and includes a conference room
Conference hall
A conference hall or conference room is a room provided for singular events such as business conferences and meetings. It is commonly found at large hotels and convention centers though many other establishments, including even hospitals, have one. Sometimes other rooms are modified for large...
as well as a small auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
with a stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
.
Wildlife in the rich hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
grounds around the village is managed
Wildlife management
Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include game keeping, wildlife conservation and pest control...
by the Dolina Hunters' Association (Lovska Družina Dolina) from Puconci.
A women's association, a mini football club and a voluntary firemen's
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
association are active in the village.
The Štrk Powered Paragliding
Powered paragliding
Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a motor on his or her back which provides enough thrust to take off using an adapted paraglider or paramotor wing...
Club from Murska Sobota also maintains a launch and landing strip with a small hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
in Gorica.
Village history
The earliest mention of Gorica as “Guricha” in surviving written documents is in the Diplomataria dating to 1365, preserved in the National Archives of HungaryNational Archives of Hungary
The National Archives of Hungary were created in 1756. They were first located in Bratislava. In 1784, they were transferred to Buda.-External links:**...
. In 1366 it appears as “Goricha in dystrict Sancti Martini”. In 1499 it is spelt “Gorycza”. Sources from 1698 give the population of “Goricza” as 70.
Today there are many religions represented in the village – evangelical
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
. Locals of various religious persuasions are well integrated, and even share a common local cemetery.
The modern history of Gorica is similar to that of all neighboring villages. With the rest of Prekmurje, it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
until 1918 and was included in 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...
after that. Horthy's Hungary re-occupied the area during the Second World War from 1941 to 1944 and Nazi Germany between 1944 and 1945. It was liberated by Soviet troops in May 1945 and soviet troops were stationed in practically every house in the village.
After the second world war the village with the surrounding infrastructure slowly started to develop. Much was achieved by the villagers themselves through volunteering for the construction of the fire station - village hall and in the asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
ing of the main road.
Notable locals
The village is especially proud of Karel Flisar (1912–1983), born in the village, who worked as a fireman all over the Prekmurje area. He also worked at the Firemen's Association of Slovenia (Gasilska Zveza Slovenije) where he was a leading member. In the period immediately after the Second World War he was the initiator of the restoration of numerous local fire stations and their equipment as well as the education and training of firemen. A commemorative plaqueCommemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
to him was unveiled on the local fire station in 2005 and a competition between local fire brigades is organised in the village in his memory every four years, known as the Karl Flisar Memorial (Gasilski memorial Karla Flisarja).
Other sources
Krajevni leksikon Slovenije 1980 IV. knjigaIvan Zelko:Zgodovina Prekmurja
Arhiv RS
Geodetski zavod RS
Kronologija vasi Gorica