Kočevske Poljane
Encyclopedia
Kočevske Poljane is a village
in the Dolenjske Toplice
municipality
in Slovenia
. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola
. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia statistical region
.
Pöllandl (formerly in Slovene just Poljane) was a village settled by Gottschee Germans
until 1941. During the Second World War its original population was resettled by the German occupation forces. However, some Gottscheer families managed to resist and prevent expulsion, and most of these collaborated with the partisans of the Liberation Front of the Slovene People, which had its headquarters (Baza 20) nearby. Their dialect Gottscheerish
was forbidden after World War II, so today there are only a few people left who speak it.
The local parish church
is dedicated to Saint Andrew
and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Novo Mesto
. It dates to the 17th century. A second church belonging to the parish, built just north of the settlement is dedicated to Mary Help of Christians
and was a pilgrimage church built in the late 17th century. The cemetery is one of only ten in the Kočevje region to have (mostly) preserved the tombstones of the Gottschee Germans.
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...
in the Dolenjske Toplice
Dolenjske Toplice
Dolenjske Toplice is a settlement and municipality near Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia statistical region. The town lies on the Sušica River, which joins the Krka...
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 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...
. The area is part of the historical region of 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...
. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia statistical region
Jugovzhodna 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%...
.
Pöllandl (formerly in Slovene just Poljane) was a village settled by Gottschee Germans
Gottschee County
Gottschee County refers to the former German speaking region in the Duchy of Carniola , a crownland of the Habsburg Empire, located in modern day Slovenia...
until 1941. During the Second World War its original population was resettled by the German occupation forces. However, some Gottscheer families managed to resist and prevent expulsion, and most of these collaborated with the partisans of the Liberation Front of the Slovene People, which had its headquarters (Baza 20) nearby. Their dialect Gottscheerish
Gottscheerish
Gottscheerish, also called Granish is a German dialect which was the main language of communication in Gottschee County in Slovenia before 1941. Today there are only a few speakers left in Slovenia and around the world.- Language history :Gottscheerish belongs to Southern Bavarian within the...
was forbidden after World War II, so today there are only a few people left who speak it.
The local parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
is dedicated to Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Novo Mesto
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...
. It dates to the 17th century. A second church belonging to the parish, built just north of the settlement is dedicated to Mary Help of Christians
Mary Help of Christians
Mary Help of Christians , is a Roman Catholic Marian devotion with a feast day celebrated on May 24. John Chrysostom was the first person to use this title in 345 as a devotion to the Virgin Mary....
and was a pilgrimage church built in the late 17th century. The cemetery is one of only ten in the Kočevje region to have (mostly) preserved the tombstones of the Gottschee Germans.